Good or Evil?
by Trinnerti
Summary: ON HIATUS. Sakura finally comes back after standing for two years on the MIA list. Everyone is overjoyed to have her back. But than everything changes. Is she still the Sakura they knew, or did she walk over to the other side?
1. prologue

A/N: Hey guys. A whole new story. Considering many people requested me to write a story similar to Left Behind, I came up with this idea. Though, know that this one will only partly follow the Naruto storyline so it's AU. Sasuke came back after killing his brother other than throwing another I need revenge fit. It's a bit short for my doing, but considering it's a prologue of the story and not the first chapter at all, I think I've done a good job =3. Enjoy!

**Summary: **Sakura finally comes back after standing for two years on the MIA list. Everyone is overjoyed to have her back. But then everything changes. Is she still the Sakura they knew, or did she walk over to the other side?

**Disclaimer** I don't own Naruto, I only own the OC's.

**Good or evil**

It was storming hard outside. The windows shook in their frames as the wind blew against them. Heavy raindrops collided with the glass and slid down together like a mini waterfall. The room was momentarily lit up as a bolt of lightning ripped through the night sky, the sound of thunder roaring right after it. The light in the room was switched off and only when the lightning bolts flashed across the sky could you see the silhouette of the person standing in front of the window. His gaze was locked on the chaos outside, arms crossed over his chest while he stared out at the storm ravaged world. His raven black hair barely touched the nape of his neck, some of it hiding his right green eye from sight as his bangs hung down in front of it. His pale skin almost made him look like a ghost as the light from the flash bolts bathed his skin in a ghostly bright glow. A small smile was plastered on his face as he continued to watch, waiting for something.

He didn't move as the door behind him opened, didn't even turn to greet the new person. The soft click indicated that the door was closed yet again, and he heard the footsteps softened by the red carpet decorating the floor now moving towards him. They stopped momentarily, as if the person hesitated to disturb the man, but recovered soon as he continued to walk across the room. As he reached the raven haired man he bowed down to the waist, murmured a soft greeting before he straightened his stance. Yet again the former of the two didn't say anything as he instead continued to watch the storm.

"She has arrived King Jin," the man spoke. The sound of his voice seemed to indicate that the man was in his early twenties. His dark blue eyes switched from the ground to his leader's face as he finally began to move to face him. Green met dark blue and quickly he looked away, not able to hold his gaze for long, there was always something in the emerald eyes that made him shiver in fear. The wicked glint that shone there, said that he always had something planned, even though you never knew what it was until it had already happened. He held great respect for the man before him. He was a leader he had never met before, and sometimes he thanked the heavens he was serving under him, instead of being his enemy. The man was crazy without doubt, but it made him even more dangerous. With high intelligence and a sharp tongue, he could manipulate his enemies so that he always came out as winner. He never saw him fail once.

"Than what are we waiting for Shoji-kun?" Jin answered in a happy tone, his smile changing into an insane grin. "We should greet her in the way she deserves," he said. His arms fell to his sides as he turned, moving towards the door with Shoji not far behind him. The long corridor was filled with a couple of doors on either side, paintings of animals and also of people hung on the walls. It ended on another corridor, but this time only the side where they'd just come from had a wall. Straight before them was an open space and you could see a large crystal chandelier dangling in the middle of the room. The railing was made out of dark colored oak, and on the ground lay a long red carpet, a tad darker than the one in the room they had been in before, and but this one only covered a small part of the wooden floor.

Jin moved to the right, passing by a statue of a wolf howling to the unseen moon and when he almost came to the end he turned left, walking down the stairs to the floor below. His footsteps resounded through the room as his feet collided with the marble floor, with every step. Striding down to the doors below the passage he'd just walked down he opened a two way door, coming into a room that was quite unlike the one where he had been. Here the fireplace was lit, giving the room a welcoming and comfortable feeling. And unlike the cold room, this one was warm thanks to the fire. The light had been switched off too; the light that erupted from the fire was strong enough to light up the the room on its own.

The person he had been waiting for was standing in front of the fireplace. She was leaning against the small slat of wood above the fireplace, her arm resting against it as she was bent over slightly. She was drenched to the bone he noted, her clothes clinging to her like a second skin. It wasn't that much of a shock really, seeing how it was raining cats and dogs outside. Her black sleeveless vest she always wore above her dark green shirt was pulled off and hung over the back rest of the large chair on her right side. She still wore her black fingerless gloves and knee length boots, her dark blue pants that stopped above the knee, her right leg bandaged, with her kunai pouch still resting against her thigh. Her dark green shirt was only decorated by a small white circle just below the neck, but above her breasts. Her now darkened hair was plastered against the nape of her neck, the water dripping from the small bangs that normally hung just above her eyes.

Jin waved with his hand, ordering Shoji silently to leave the two of them alone. Shoji complied, bowed down once again as he retreated, before pulling the two doors closed as he exited the room. Waiting for the sound of retreating footsteps to be gone he moved towards one of the small waist high cabinets. He grabbed the bottle of vodka, poured some of the clear liquid into two glasses before placing it back on the silver tray. Taking the two glasses with him, he handed one over to the woman now standing beside him, clanging their glasses together before both of them taking a gulp from their drinks. A small sigh escaped her lips as she savoured the taste of her drink. Her eyes closed briefly before her emerald eyes finally focused on her leader.

"I take it the mission was a success?" Jin asked, sitting down in one of the chairs near the fire as he watched the young woman before him do the same. She swung her leg over the other, a grin forming on her lips before she spoke.

"You assumed correct my master." Her green eyes twinkled wickedly as the fire reflected in her dark green depths. "The Mizukage is gone, just like you ordered me to do."

"Very good my dear, I trust they didn't even catch a glimpse of you?" The girl snorted as if the question was the stupidest one she ever heard. "Of course not master, my blade is faster than they could blink. Before they realised he was out cold, I was long gone."

"Excellent," Jin said. He clapped his hands together excitingly before he stood up. He moved towards the table on the other side of the room and stared down at the cards spread before him. He caressed the joker card that lay straight before him before he moved his hand up, leaning a over the table abit as he turned one of the five kings on the other side of the table over. He drew his hand back then, before turning away and petting the girl on her shoulder.

"You did very well my child." The woman simply bowed as the grin widened when she straightened up.

"Who's my next target my master? Give me a name and consider it done." Her voice sounded eager, her hands twitching in anticipation.

Jin laughed, laying his arm over her shoulder as he pulled her along while he walked back to the chairs they had been sitting in only moments ago. "It will not be fun to make haste of such a nice game my dear. But I also can't ignore your enjoyment as you take part in the game." He kept silent for a minute his smile faltering before a wide smile appeared on his face.

"Very well, consider this the bonus round. I order you to go to Konoha, but not assassinate the Godaime just yet. The thing is that I want you to earn their trust, only so you can kill this person." He moved away from her, grabbing one of the pictures that lay on the low wooden table now before him before handing it over to the girl.

"A challenge," Sakura said as she looked down at the picture. Her green eyes twinkled in delight as she looked up back at her master. "I like it."

_**To be continued…**_


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: Thanks for all the wonderful reviews; I'm glad you guys liked it so much. Also thanks to the ones that placed an alert of fav on this one. A special thanks to Arcane Desires for betaing this story and all the help you give me. This will be my last update for awhile seeing I'm going to France for a week. Enough with the babbling; on with the story, enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto, I only own the OC's

**Chapter 1:**

It was strange, that was for certain. Memory's flashed through her mind as she looked at the scenery before her. She could remember some things about this place, remember some of the hidden paths in the woods she was now walking. But why she knew those things was a total blank to her. She simply knew them and if she tried to remember more, nothing ever came. Jin had once told her he'd found her lying on the brink of death, somewhere in these woods. So that might explain why she knew some things she shouldn't know. Things she probably did know, back before she met Jin.

She sighed as she kept walking along the road, her eyes darting around but she remained unnoticed as she took in her surroundings. She always kept her guard up, especially when she was sent away on a mission. She'd already burned the picture after memorizing the face of the person she was ordered to kill. Another skill to add to the ones she somehow already gained before she met Jin.

Her dark green eyes fluttered as a breath of wind passed by her. Inhaling the scent that came with it, she stopped dead in her tracks. It was familiar, but what she couldn't say how or why. Her eyebrows furred in concentration as she tried to recognize it. It was a crisp scent, men's aftershave; mixed with the scent of sweat and blood. Noticing the scent of blood, her hand immediately lowered to one of her weapon pouches on her thigh, her eyes snapping in the direction the gush of wind had come from. Closing her eyes briefly, she concentrated on the sounds around her. Not far ahead from her position she could hear yelling. Battle sounds mixed with screams of pain. The sound of metal clashing and things hitting the floor were easily heard by her attentive ears. There was a battle going on, North-west of her position, maybe 1 mile away.

Opening her eyes she glanced into the direction. Her hands itched to do some killing, and it might give her the opportunity she had been searching for, might give her a good workout. Even if it was only a small one. The grin on her face told how she'd already made up her mind. As a mistress of agility and speed she leapt with no problem through the woods, moving closer and closer to the battle. The scent grew stronger and more scents drifted towards her. Her green eyes flashed in delight as she sped up and in her mind she was hoping there was still someone left for her to kill.

Finally reaching the battle ground she stopped on the tree branch. She watched in mild interest as a boy with blonde hair fought with two others. A leaf symbol was carved into the metal plaque which was strapped around his head with the help a black piece of cloth. His blue eyes were narrowed in concentration as he kept fighting the two men. Sniffing the air she noticed it wasn't him that gave off the scent that had drawn her to the scene. Turning her head to the other side she noticed a man with black hair and skin as pale as Jin's who was fighting with ink creations. '_Interesting._' This one also wore the leaf headband like the blond haired one.

More enemies of the ones wearing the leaf headband showed up, but instead of joining the fight like she'd planned to do, she just remained standing where she was. She watched the two below her kept fighting. She noticed they were covered in dirt and all three of them had some blood streaks that were from their former opponents or from shallow cuts they'd obtained on their skin. Her eyes were drawn to another man, one that was fighting in the middle of the field. One eye was closed, the other was red. His strange hair color had drawn her attention as she kept watching the man move. He moved fast and efficiently, killing his opponents skilfully as if they weren't any problem at all. His fingers were moving so fast that it seemed like magic as he moved through the seals of jutsu's he was using, or simply threw shuriken at his enemy's.

A sudden cry reached her ears and she watched as another dark haired male blew a fire ball at one of his opponents. He was moving fast, his eyes flashing red with black as he went after his target. Switching on to her other leg, her smirk grew wider. The last surviving member of the Uchiha clan was fighting not far below her. She knew this was going to be a challenge and watching all of them fight was making her adrenaline build up. This certainly was going to be fun. Not to mention that her target was right below her.

The fight continued on and more of the enemy just kept coming. She noticed the blond making some mistakes that got him kicked into the nearest tree several times. But she admired him for how quick he stood back up and was ready to continue fighting, ignoring his own pain as he kept fighting for his life. Only when the oldest of the four closed his red eye in pain, while blood ran from the corner of it, did Sakura stand up. They were all panting heavily and the majority of them had already gained cuts and bruises. Her hand grabbed hold of the flap of her weapon pouch, her green eyes taking in every move the enemy made as she waited for the right moment to strike.

It came when the eldest of the four was knocked to the ground, one of his opponents catching him off guard as he attacked from behind; while one of the others kept distracting him. His arms and legs were already bound to the floor by the soil that was creeping up his form to hold him down. His struggles never faltered even though he knew it was no use struggling. As one moved to deliver the final blow, she moved. Pushing chakra into her legs she leapt into the air. Her hands now flipped her pouch open and she threw her poisoned shurikens at the attackers.

She hit two of them, one weapon sinking into the man's shoulder as the other finished the man off by cutting his throat. As the man fell to the ground, Sakura landed on the floor, her face and hair still covered by her hood as her hand slipped back to draw her dagger sized katana. When the steel blade was drawn out of its sheath she moved, becoming a blur of black and dark green as she finished off her opponents in a flash. The adrenaline rush that swept through her veins exciting her, and urging her on to kill more. Her green eyes stood wicked as she knocked the last on the ground, her eyes staring into the fear filled ones of her opponent. Stabbing him through the heart she closed her eyes briefly as she favoured the scent of blood that rushed into the air.

The men surrounding the trapped one froze as they watched their leader killed by a small person, a girl no less. For a moment it seemed like time had stopped, but the moment broke as the person slowly stood up taking her blade with her as it was pulled from the body with a sickening squelch. She ducked her head a bit lower as she turned to face the others, her eyes now hidden behind the fabric and only the wicked grin on her lips could be seen. A small giggle escaped her lips before she moved. And no one knew what hit them. She slaughtered them one by one, all of them not even fast enough to raise their kunai in defence against her attack. She kept going until only one was left standing. He dropped his weapon as he sank to his knees. His hands came up and he clasped them together as he begged her to let him live. He was sobbing she noticed and the smirk she wore on her face vanished. Instead the look went from delighted to disgust in a matter of seconds as she watched the pathetic man beg.

"Please let me live. I'll do anything, just please don't kill me!"

She scoffed, pushing the man down with her boot as she leaned over him. "Pathetic," Sakura sneered, pushing more weight on her feet so it snapped his collarbone. The man screamed out in pain, his hands now encircling her boot as he tried to push it off. "How can you call yourself a shinobi, a warrior?" Her voice was low as she bent down. "You're a disgrace to our kind. I don't even want your filthy blood staining my blade."

"Thank you, I promise I won't do anything." But Sakura laughed at his comment, her eyes gaining back the wicked glint they always carried when she hunted down others. "Oh but that doesn't mean you get to live." She moved her foot up towards his neck, the man's eyes open in shock and fear.

Before the man could protest or beg any further she crushed his neck, the sickening sound of his spine breaking filling the air. She moved off her boot and wiped her sole against the grass. While doing that she grabbed the edge of her cloak, bringing it in front of her to wipe the blood of her precious blade. Sliding it back in the sheath she turned around, her eyes locking on the form of the man still locked into place. The sound of fighting had died down as everyone was killed, the rest of the squad turning towards her.

As she gathered chakra into her feet the three went back into a fighting stance, waiting for her to make a move to kill or attack them. But instead she stomped the ground, the bindings of soil around the trapped mans wrists and ankles breaking with the force of chakra she sent into the ground. Now that the man was free Sakura turned around and started to walk away. Not bothering to avoid the corpses now littering the ground, but boldly stepping on them as she continued her journey.

A cry of wait reached her ears, but she didn't turn around to see who it was. She simply continued on not wanting to seem too eager to get within their group and start her mission. A grin appeared on her lips as she heard the heavy footsteps running towards her. Her senses warned her of the incoming hand rather than her seeing it approach and without looking she grabbed him by his wrist, her hold strong but not strong enough to break the bones beneath the human skin.

"Don't touch me," was her cold reply before releasing his wrist. Glancing down she saw her grip left a red angry print on his skin.

"What's your name?" She glanced out of the corner of her eyes and noticed it was the blond that had run after her. She kept silent as she studied his features. He had marks of whiskers on his face, but unlike she expected; it suited him rather well than foolish. His bright blue eyes now filled with astonishment and admiration kept her standing still.

"I can't remember," she finally said, her head finally tilting up as she looked him straight in the eyes. But she got a reaction she never had gotten before; she didn't even expect such thing.

His eyes grew wide with shock as he stumbled backwards. His mouth opened and closed as if he was gasping for breath, a fish lying on solid ground that yearned to be back in the safety of the water. His look went from shock to desperate disbelief and sadness in a matter of seconds. It seemed as if he had seen a ghost that came back him from his past to haunt. His right arm came up as he pointed to her, still not having found his voice.

Sakura waited, a tad annoyed as the pointing finger was getting on her nerves. Wanting to make him stop she moved towards him, touching his finger with her own as she moved it down. "Pointing is impolite you know... especially when you gape at someone looking like a fish out of water."

The hand he had been pointing with came up yet again, but instead of pointing like he did before he pulled off her hood, revealing her short pink locks to him. Tears began leaking out of his eyes as he kept staring at her, his hand frozen on the spot where he had pushed her hood down. Sakura blinked confused, wondering what she'd done to make him act so when his arms suddenly locked around her, pulling her into an embrace she hadn't felt for years.

He pulled her down to the ground as his forehead touched her shoulder, crying as his hold became stronger. Strange and unfamiliar emotions welled up within her. It seemed so familiar and yet so utterly strange and foreign. It seemed perfectly normal for the man to hug her like he did, but how could that be as she hadn't met him before?

"Sakura-chan… I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," he sobbed, choking the words out in a repeating litany between his sobs. His form was shaking; she could feel his hands trembling as they grabbed hold of her travelling cloak. He rocked back in forth, his face still pushed onto her shoulder as he kept repeating the line, the volume dying down until only the sobs remained. Not feeling very comfortable with his sudden outburst and the tightening hold she smiled apologetically.

"I'm sorry but I think you've got the wrong person," she told him before her eyes widened in surprise from the force and anger with which he spoke the next line.

"No," he growled. He lifted his head up, staring into her confused green depths as his lips were drawn back in a snarl. "You're Sakura, I know you are. No one has the same pink hair and green eyes like she does. I know you are her."

Tears were still leaking out of his eyes, but this time his form didn't shake along with the sobs that had previously been wracking his body. "I don't understand. I don't know you."

That sentence brought a flash of hurt on his face. But soon it was pushed away to make way for hatred. "Those bastards, I don't know what they did to you. But I promise you Sakura that everything will be alright. You'll be your old self again."

Did that mean he'd known her in her life before Jin? Her eyes stared into the blue depths and noticed a protective emotion in them. These things confused her greatly, she sucked up all the information and realised she wanted to sort her head out and discuss them with Master. Master said she'd been attacked in her family house near the border of the Fire country. She was the only survivor of the blood bath that occurred there. So if this blonde man claimed he knew her, one of the two was lying. Quickly she shook that idea out of her head. How could she question Master? After all what he'd done for her, it was a simple disgrace to think of him that badly. She sighed, at least she could pretend to be this Sakura figure. She seemed to look like her and if these people were from Konoha, she'd just found her way in.

She turned her head to the others as she heard them approach, inwardly sighing as she noticed the same reaction from them, only without the crying part. Noting that the possessive hold that had kept her captive was released she stood up, before bending down to brush the dirt off her knees and replace her hood. She never liked the sun shining down on her. She preferred the nights, the calmness of the sleeping cities and the big blue moon standing out as the pearl of the night next to all those twinkling stars. Pulling herself out of her train of thought she noticed the newly arrived three were still staring at her, and snorted annoyed.

"Jeez, stop staring, it's annoying." She turned her head, ready to walk further. Kicking a small stone near her feet she sighed heavily, her hand coming up to pick at her nails and as she waited for them to say something.

The pale black haired one spoke up first. "Welcome back old Hag." The blond flinched, looking at her expectantly, but Sakura stared back blankly. Was she supposed to react or something? Dropping her hand to her side she turned her head, forcing a small smile on her face. "Thanks I guess."

The blond gaped at her with only made her confused. "What?" she called out annoyed as he kept staring. "Why didn't you hit Sai? You always hit Sai when he calls you that."

"Like I can remember," Sakura muttered before turning away. All this attention was creeping her out a little. Sure she got a lot attention from her master, but that was pure business or strategy. She wanted to move, run away from them, but she pushed that thought away quickly. She'd never failed a mission before. She'd never ran away from an uncomfortable position before so why start now? Master would be disappointed if he were to ever find out that she'd done such a thing. She would bring disgrace back to his house and that was the last thing what she wanted to do.

So instead she swallowed to remove the awkward feelings welling up deep within her and kept silent. The others two still hadn't said anything, but Sakura didn't really mind. She just wanted to go to Konoha and get the mission over with, gain herself another victory. Her silent prayer seemed to be heard as the eldest spoke up.

"We need to bring her to Tsunade-sama. She should give her a check-up and see if it's really Sakura."

The blond next to her narrowed his eyes. "Of course is she Sakura-chan sensei!" Oh, so the old man was his sensei. Probably former, she realised noting the blond boys age. No one was still a genin around that age.

"You can't say that for sure Naruto." The man moved forward, walking towards Sakura as she moved away from him. Her guards going back up as she glared at the man before him as if he was a threat. As if the silver haired man noticed her defensive look he stopped moving, placed his hands in the air in front of him so she could see them.

"Relax Sakura, I'm not going to hurt you."

"Weren't you the one who said I wasn't Sakura?" Sakura sneered back, her hand already resting on the hilt of her blade. A sudden burst of chakra made her leap from the ground, and she patted herself on the back as she noticed the ground behind her was now a crater. The silver haired man was in the middle, his eye watching her move. Doing a back flip she was out of his reach. She wanted to turn around on her heels to gain higher ground and vanish from sight when she noticed her feet were stuck. Looking down she saw black snakes curling around her ankles and locking her to the tree behind her.

Cursing loudly she tried to escape and spit into the person's face as his hand touched her chin to tilt her head up. How could she lower her guard so easily? She squeezed her eyes shut, knowing that if it was one of the sharingan wielders she would be out before she could even think of an escape plan, let alone execute it. She kept struggling, trying to break free but it was all to no avail. She was stuck, captured for the very first time in her life; that she could remember anyway. She felt a pair of hands touching her closed eyelids, forcing her eyes open. Knowing she couldn't do anything anymore she stopped fighting, opened her eyes to stare at the red twirling depths with a shock of dark hair falling in front of it before her eyes rolled into the back of her head as the darkness claimed her.

_**To be continued…**_


	3. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks for all the wonderful reviews; I'm glad you guys liked it so much. Also thanks to the ones that placed an alert of fav on this one. A special thanks to Arcane Desires for betaing this story and all the help you give me. This will be my last update for awhile seeing I'm going to France for a week. Enough with the babbling; on with the story, enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto, I only own the OC's

**Chapter 2:**

"_… amnesia…nothing we can do…"_

_"Are you absolutely certain she's…?"_

_"She must have been through such torture to cause this kind of amnesia. The scar tissue all over her body, burn spots confirm this theory."_

_"That's not what I asked. Is she her?"_

_"… Yes and no. Everything matches. But the chance is high that she will never become her old self again, regain her memories. Maybe some flashes or places she can remember, but not why and how."_

_"It can't be her."_

_"I just checked everything…"_

_"It just can't."_

Headache. That was the very first word that flashed through her mind as she regained her consciousness. She suppressed the need to groan as she felt the throbbing pain in her head; it was pounding so that it felt like it would explode any moment now. Instead she stayed still, kept her eyes firmly closed as she slowly regained her senses back. She didn't want to alarm them of her awareness just yet. She knew she wasn't alone, not to mention that they were talking about her. The voice that had spoken in the beginning was feminine and probably was the person that was called Tsunade-sama as the silver haired man had called her.

More sounds reached her as she began to focus her hearing on her surroundings. She heard soft chatter on her right side and even felt someone holding her hand; probably one of the two chatting, as she lay still in bed. At the end of her bed she heard the woman she presumed was Tsunade talking with another person who sounded quite irritated at the moment. There was one other, and even though he or she wasn't making any noise, his/hers chakra signal gave his/hers position away. In the background she could hear the soft chirps of the birds outside and the soothing ticks of the clock somewhere hanging in the room she was in. Combining every detail she gathered she assumed, no was certain she was in the hospital.

The soft clicks of heels connecting with the stone laid floor made her aware the woman was approaching and soon a hand brushed away some pink strands of her hair away from her forehead, but her hair was stubborn because the moment she pulled her hand back, the strands fell back into place. The woman didn't seem to mind though, as she didn't touch her again. Sakura was thankful for that for she held in the need to turn her head away the moment she felt the woman touch her. She didn't want any touch of her enemy that was gentle towards her. She didn't want sympathy, she loathed that emotion, it was an emotion for people who were weak.

"She's Sakura without doubt, her DNA, chakra signature; everything matches. Hell, she even bares the same scar on the same spot she received when I knocked her through trees once."

_'Tch, right. Like I can be one of you,´ _Sakura scoffed sarcastically as she kept listening to the argument.

"It still be can one of the tortures you mentioned," the man on the end of her bed replied stubbornly.

"I'm certain, it can't be a genjutsu otherwise Kurenai would already picked it up. Why are you so stubborn she isn't her?"

No answer came then and it seemed the woman was satisfied with winning their argument. Sakura inwardly cringed as her hand touched her once again, this time stroking her cheek almost like a mother's touch before she moved away once again. Relieved she heard the woman say that she would come back later for a check-up, followed by the clicks of her heels moving away from her. The moment the door clicked closed the person closest to her spoke up.

"I told you she was Sakura, Sensei." Sakura recognized the voice that filled the room immediately. He was probably even the one holding her hand. It was the blond guy that ran after her back in the woods. The one who started to cry when he saw her face and embraced her like a lost sister coming back after long years. What was his name again? The silver haired man had called him by his name back then. Oh yes, Naruto. She wondered briefly why he was so protective of her, probably because he had a very close bond with the person she was trying to be. She was almost jealous of such bond, but she couldn't complain either she reasoned. She had a special bond with her master, something that went far deeper than that her master shared with his other companions.

The man didn't reply back, however she did feel his heath gaze sweeping over her resting form. It made her feel uncomfortable and uneasy. He knew something about her or either the person she was trying to be. No it has to be her. He probably knew he wasn't the one she was posing to be. Knowing this, she made a mental note to be alert around him. She switched her attention to the approaching footsteps nearing her room with haste. Not late after the door was thrown open. The swift breeze that was created with the motion reached her nose and carried the scent of flowers, mixed with a snuff of a sweet perfume.

"Sakura!" A young female's voice boomed from the doorway. "So the rumor flying through the village is true. How long has she been here?"

This time the man that called her 'Old Hag' spoke up. "Three hours, thirty-four minutes and six, seven eight, nine…"

"Alright Sai I get the point," The female voice snapped, successfully shutting up the black haired male. The door closed again. "Has she been awake yet?"

"No." This time Naruto spoke up, his thumb stroking her now ungloved hand. She really didn't like the idea her gloves were taking off, she always kept them on in case she would awake and needed to fight. Not to mention to hide the big scare in the middle of the back of her hand she hated so much. A screech of a chair being pulled back made an end to the silence that had fallen between them, because once the woman was seated she spoke again.

"How was she like?" Unlike before, this time her voice was gentle and soft but sorrow present none the less.

"You should have seen her fight, she was like a blur of black and dark green. She moved so fast she killed everyone without a problem. " Naruto's voice was filled with admiration and awe. But his voice lowered then, sounding hurt as he spoke. "She didn't recognize us though. She kept staring at me with a blank look as if she looked straight through me." His hand that rested on his leg tightened, grabbing the black fabric of his pants. "Those bastards. When I get my hands on them they will pay for doing this to Sakura-chan. "

Sakura sighed, finding the conversation quite bored. She didn't want to 'awake' just yet and so she forced herself to relax, slipping into a light sleep as she kept her senses alert for anything that might be a threat towards her. The next time she awoke there was still someone holding her hand. Unlike the first time she had woken up with chatter, this time they were silent. The scent of the young woman has long faded and the sound of chirping birds has died down. Knowing she had to face them one time or another she slowly opened her eyes, blinking slowly as she scanned her surroundings. The day had turned into night, as the moon was the only source of light shining through the windows. She saw one silhouette right at her side, and another one at the left, sitting in one of the chairs near the window. Turning her head she saw one more person leaning against the wall. His arms were crossed and his head lowered as if he was deep in thought. The moment he heard the slight crush of her pillow on her head weight he looked up and straightened his stance.

Sakura wanted to move and released herself from the grip the blond held on her. He seemed to be sleeping at her side, a small puddle of drool under his mouth. He was snoring softly, only hearable for those who focused or trained their hearing.

"Finally awake huh?" Came a cold reply near the door where the person was standing. He was tall, she could tell that by the long silhouette she saw. And as he moved into the light, her eyes narrowed as she remembered him knocking her unconscious. She didn't reply but watched as the young man moved towards the end of her bed, looking down at her with slight curiosity Sakura could tell, even if he tried to hide it.

"Took you long enough. Do you know where you are?" he continued on.

Sakura kept glaring at him, not saying anything back to answer his questions. He didn't seem to mind, the smug grin remained on his face as he continued to look at her. His arms he had folded in front of his chest were released, one falling down next to his form while the other sunk into his pocket. He turned his face slight upwards, giving him a cocky standing and attitude. "I take that as a no."

"I know where I am." Sakura's voice sounded cold and hard as she spoke, slight hoarse with not having drunk so much that made her throat dry.

The man simply raised an eyebrow, his grin faltering slightly. "And that is?"

"Why are you asking those questions if you know the place yourself?" Sakura fired back at him.

"I simply want to know if you do." He shrugged. And for some reason, the way he was behaving was strange for her. She didn't know why but she knew somehow that the man before her didn't like talking very much. Didn't smile, grin and was stoic. His favorite saying was 'hn'. But how did she know all those things about it without knowing him?

"Well I do, end of story," Sakura grumbled. She was beginning to find him annoying. His cocky grin was getting to her and how she wanted to get up and hit the bastard.

"I get the feeling you don't know it, otherwise you would have named this place already."

Sakura's eye twitched. "Fire country, town called Konohagakure with leader Godaime, the person currently holding the position is the Tsunade, the Slug princess and one of the three sannin. At the moment I'm in Konoha hospital, floor three, left hallway from the reception and second door on the right side, also known as room 304. Is that enough for you?" Sakura asked skeptically, her voice holding no emotion as she recited her answer.

It was her turn to grin as she watched satisfied how the smug grin on his face vanished, his eyes widening from surprise and confusion. His gaze held a thoughtful look as he was thinking if everything she said was true. And when it was confirmed, his eyes narrowed. "How did you know all that." It wasn't a question, and the teasing tone his voice held in the beginning as he started to ask her questions was gone and made way for his stoic, cold one. For some reason Sakura knew he was finally being himself again.

Sakura said nothing, smiling grinning at him as she watched him getting more irritated by the minute's increasing silence. His hand hanging next to his form curled up into a fist. "I asked how did you know all that?"

Sakura blinked, faking as if she was surprised before she answered with an innocent tone, "Wasn't that the answer that you sought? I told you were I was." She watched as his jaw clenched at her backfiring answer. Oh, how she loved playing with people.

The dark haired man opened his mouth to say something when the blonde next to her started to move. He froze, closing his mouth as he watched his comrade sitting up, whipping his arm in front of his eyes to rub the sleep out of his eyes as he yawned. Removing his arm and lowering it down at his side, he smacked his lips as he groggily opened his blue eyes.

Sakura turned her head, her green eyes meeting his blue ones. He blinked as if his brain was trying to register that the person he had been waiting for was finally awake, looking at him. He continued to stare blankly before a wide smile found its way.

"You're awake!" He jumped out of his chair, causing it to fall backwards as he leaned forward to hug her. Sakura remembering how uncomfortable she'd felt the first time tried to slide away. Naruto seeing her withdraw from his froze, a flash of hurt showing on his features before he covered it up. "I'm sorry," He mumbled, stepping away from the bed as he turned his eyes to the window. An awkward silence rose between them, Sakura not knowing what to say or do as Naruto fidgeted with his fingers. Sasuke on the other hand was simply glaring at the pink haired girl. He was irritated without doubt, she could feel it radiating off of him.

Knowing she had to play different that she was used to she tried to come up with an idea. She didn't know much about this Sakura figure, but surely she needed to be close to that blond guy. Otherwise he wouldn't have reacted that way. So the key to get into the group was to be nice to him, she swallowed heavily as she thought of how she must allow herself to get hugged. She really didn't like physical touch when it was not necessary, she would rather avoid it. But if that was the way to get into the group and closer to her target it would only be a small sacrifice. Fixing her green eyes on the blond she recalled was named Naruto she summoned up her strength and reached out to his hand still resting on the bed. He flinched as they touched, his eyes widening slightly as he abruptly turned his head to look her in the eye.

She smiled apologetically and squeezed the fingers under her own briefly. "I'm sorry, it's still because I don't know how to react. I'm sure we had some kind of connection but I can't remember what it was." Tilting her head down she tried to act sad, withdrawing back and lying it down in her lap as she continued to talk. "I don't know any of you while all of you are looking at me as I'm a ghost of the past coming back, someone you knew very well."

She looked up when a hand touched her own, and held in the need to pull her head back as she realized just how close Naruto's face was near hers right now. His blue eyes were full of sympathy as his eyes scanned her, but a smile on his face all the while. "Don't worry Sakura-chan, we'll help you to remember. I'm sure baa-chan will give me some time free to spend some time with you to help you."

Sakura smiled back. "Thanks… Naruto was it not?" His bright blue eyes filled with surprise as his mouth fell open just a bit. "How did you know that?"

"That's what the grey haired man called you back in the field right?" Sakura said. Naruto snorted shaking his head with a light chuckle. "Please don't say that when Kakashi-sensei is near Sakura-chan. Only if you have a death wish."

"What do you mean?"

"If anyone says his hair is grey, they either be killed the next second or land into the hospital. Kakashi-sensei's hair color is silver."

"Alright, I'll try to remember that." She smiled as Naruto placed himself back into his chair after turning it up again. He babbled about everything, glancing at her sometimes as he spoke. Sakura simply kept looking at him, noticing that every time he glanced at her it held a sparkle of hope. Probably hope for her to remember who she was, hope for her to turn like her old self again he'd known for ages. And somewhere deep inside of her Sakura felt guilty for acting like Sakura. She was crushing the man's dream of getting the person back he yearned for so much. She was just a fake, a pawn for her master to command as he wishes. Pushing away the feeling of guilt she continued to listen to Naruto's stories about her, her face blank of emotion; the perfect mask for an assassin, murder like herself.

**xXx**

Sakura sighed relieved as her own dark green shirt slid down her skin, covering her once naked skin again for the world. Standing up she zipped up her sleeveless black vest and grabbed her fingerless gloves as she moved towards the door. But before she reached it, the white door swung open and a blond haired girl stood in the opening. Her blue eyes shone brightly with happiness as she looked at her. Her name was Ino, Sakura had learned. She was the one who would be escorting her back to her apartment. In her hand she held Sakura's beloved knee length boots and handed it over.

"Heya Sakura, ready to go back into the village?" Sakura cringed inwardly. She surely had a loud voice, that was for sure. Pulling a chair close she sat down and slid on her boots as she replied. "I'm just glad I can get out of this hell hole. I don't know why I like the hospital back then. I hate the smell and they treat the patients as if they are five year olds." Standing up Sakura tilted her head up only to look into the shocked face of her so called best friend.

"What did I say something wrong?" Sakura faked a worried tone. Ino shook her head. "No, it's just I still have to come with terms you're not you. Ah well forget it, I'm sure you're thrilled to see your home."

"Yeah I can't wait," Sakura muttered under her breath full with sarcasm. Ino didn't hear it though and continued to babble about having a girls night to celebrate her return. Sakura didn't say anything back though, but scanned through the streets, taking in every road she could use to escape. She noticed people staring at her as she walked by. Some even going so far with stopping dead in their tracks and gawk at her. She sighed turning her attention back a red building they stopped in front of.

"Is this my building?" Ino nodded, pushing the door open and closed it as Sakura walked by. "Your old apartment have been already sold out since… well the owner thought you were dead and rented it out again. But no worries, Naruto was very set on it that you would come back and placed all your stuff in his storage room. He even threw out his year supply of ramen so it could fit." Ino snicker slightly. "It surprises me he hadn't come complaining yet that you owe him ramen."

Walking up the stairs they stopped at the second floor and moved to the end of the hall. "Ah here it is," Ino chirped happily as she pushed open the door. "Tsunade had arranged this apartment for you." She stepped aside so Sakura could walk in first.

Her eyes scanned the room as she walked immediately into the living room. In the middle was her table, on side pushed against the backside of her couch that faced the window. Next to the window in the corner was her television, a small coffee table in front of it. On the right she could see the stone tiles that indicated the kitchen began there. And as she walked further, she saw she had a bar where she could sit and eat attached to her counter. Passing her couch she opened the door to led to her bedroom. The bed was neatly made, the window open for some fresh air as the curtains softly danced on the wind's melody. What caught her attention though was the small oak dresser right on the other side of her. It was full with photo frames.. of her. Moving forward she bent down, studying each one of them. One was of her as a small child together with her parents. Another was from her, Naruto, the silver haired one and the one who had knocked her out. She was standing in the middle of that one. Turning her eyes to another picture she saw herself with the Godaime in a training field and the last one was from the four guys she had met in the field. They were all dressed in tradition clothes and if you looked correctly she could see the fireworks on the background. She didn't know why but it triggered flashes, sounds. She could hear laughter, the sound of fireworks going off and soft music. She could almost feel the evening wind blowing in her face, carrying the scent of sweet goods. She could feel the soft grass touching her bare skin as she rested her head in her sensei's lap. Her eyes fluttered closed, images coming up from the five of them laughing, her watching together with her sensei as Sasuke and Naruto rolled down a small hill as they wrestled with each other.

And then it was over. The flash of memory was pushed away as a sudden burst of chakra was pushed through her system by an unknown force. Letting her forget what she'd just seen and pushing her off balance. She wobbled on her legs, almost causing her to fall and she would have if Ino hadn't pushed her on the bed. Sakura opened her green eyes, a surprised look in them. What had she'd been doing just then?

"Are you alright Sakura?" Her blue eyes scanning her over as gazed over her worriedly.

Slowly she nodded. "Yeah, I think it's best if I lie down for a moment."

"Sure Sakura. Just call me if you need me okay? My number is under speed dial three." As Sakura nodded once again Ino stood up and moved away. With one worried glance she stepped out of her bedroom and out of her apartment. Hearing the door click softly closed Sakura breathed inwardly relieved and ran a hand through her hair. What was that just then? Maybe she blacked out for a second. Yes, that was it. She was just overly tired and blacked out. Falling back on bed she closed her eyes as she let her arm rest before her eyes, shutting out the light. And as she slowly drifted into sleep, another chakra burst swept through her system, erasing every trace that she remembered something about her past.

**_To be continued…_**


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Hey guys, I know it's been a long time since I updated this story. I didn't have a lot of time with school taking most of it and I had a writer's block. Also the reason why this piece is so damn short. I won't be updated frequently anymore. I do it when I can because sometimes the schoolwork is drowning me, and sometimes I can relax and finally sit down a write. I'm sorry but I try to update at least once or twice a month. I want to thank everyone for favoring, reviewing and alerting my story. It lets me know I'm not losing my touch ;). Special thanks to Arcane Desires for betaing this story *huggles*

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto. I only own the OC characters.

**Chapter 3:**

Have you ever had the feeling that you were a third wheel in something? Sakura had never felt it before, at least not until now. Her master had always made her feel welcome, even precious whenever she was near. And like an eager child she sucked it all up, overjoyed that her master was so pleased with her. But now sitting in the booth, her drink right in front of her, surrounded by her so-called friends she realized she'd never felt so out of place. Ino was laughing loudly with a brown haired girl she'd learned was named Tenten, while leaning heavily against her teammate as she tried desperately to regain some air between her bursts of laughter. Naruto's arm was draped over Hinata's shoulder, his mouth almost touching the skin near her ear as he whispered softly into it. In return, Hinata flushed bright red but giggled, smacking him teasingly on his shoulder as Naruto grinned down at her with a wolfish grin.

Everyone was having fun, laughing, joking with each other. At the beginning of this event they tried to talk with her, but not knowing what to answer back or how to act Sakura simply nodded or shrugged to their questions, not wanting to give away too much information. The result was that they all slowly began to talk with someone else and left Sakura alone. Which meant that she was now sitting quietly at the edge of the booth, twirling the orange parasol from her drink between her fingers as she barely listened to their stories, finding the piece of wood and paper more interesting. If it was up to her, she wouldn't be here right now. She would have been on top of the Hokage monument, looking down over the sleeping city and memorizing every path she could see. But her plans to do so were thrown out of the window as Naruto knocked on her door and dragged her with him to a meeting with the Rookie Nine. He was clearly hoping that something between their talks or even being in their presence would trigger her memory.

So there she was, sitting in a overcrowded bar, not to mention a loud one. The scent of sweat, smoke, perfume, aftershave and the strongest of all, alcohol permeated the air. All the scents mixing together drifted into her sensitive nose, giving her a headache she was finding more and more annoying with every passing second. Sakura sighed heavily, placing the parasol on the table and reached with her now free hand for her drink. Tossing the liquid inside down her throat, she slammed the glass onto the table while grimacing at the burning feeling at the back of her throat. No one looked up at the noise she made though. The sound of her slam was drowned out by the noise of chatter and heavy music that was playing through the speakers. Seeing this as the golden opportunity to escape from her personal hell, she got up from her seat and skilfully slipped through the crowd, hoping silently that they didn't notice that she was gone until she had gained her freedom.

As she stepped outside, she breathed in the night air and closed her eyes in bliss as the filthy scent from the bar made way for fresh air. The evening wind whipped against her form, biting into her bare skin and making her shiver slightly. Opening her eyes, Sakura tilted her head backwards, gazing up to the dark sky that was littered with twinkling stars. One of the bright lights hypnotized her briefly as she stared at the lone moon. Deciding to get a better view and sort out her thoughts, she turned and ran in the direction of the monument.

With little effort she jumped from rooftop to rooftop. Her eyes widened slightly when she felt a chakra signature following her. Concentrating on the signature she easily figured out who it was and sighed in annoyance. That man had never left her alone ever since she'd arrived a couple of days ago. Choosing to ignore his presence, she increased her speed and added chakra into her feet before she jumped. Her feet collided with the stone where the faces of the leaf village's current and former leaders were shaped into the mountain side and moved skilfully upwards.

Finally Sakura reached her destination and sat down, her face towards the village. Her eyes flickered towards the place she noticed a shadowy figure. The person disappeared as quickly as he'd come in her vision. Sakura knew he was there though, hiding somewhere and trying to decide if he should confront her or not. Knowing he would come towards her whenever he felt like it Sakura turned her attention to the village lying beneath her feet. Her eyes took in the many lights that dotted the dark streets, giving back the small amount of comfort she'd lost back in the bar.

Thinking back to the people she'd met her brows furrowed with frustration. The pictures they had shown her, how happy the person she was pretending to be looked made her feel empty. They'd almost convinced her that it was indeed her standing in those pictures. Placing the picture next to the mirror she studied the woman in the picture and herself. And it was freaky how much they looked alike. Every scar, the oversized forehead, emerald eyes, the symbol on their clothes... It was all identical. But it couldn't be. Her master had taken her to her burned down home, he'd even found a half burned picture of her and her parents among the remains. So who was she to believe? Both sides had pictures, stories of what she'd done. It was confusing her to the point where she wanted to scream, to run way into the comforting darkness and sort out her thoughts. But being on a mission she was forced to suck it all up, lock it all away and instead concentrate on the task at hand.

A sudden breeze made Sakura open her eyes, only to realise she'd closed them. Her legs were pulled up to her chest while her hands where holding strands of her pink hair. To an outsider it would seem that she was in pain, and it was probably that which had pushed her watcher over the edge and join her. It was clearly him thinking she was in pain that made him let her be aware of his presence, even if she'd already known he was there.

Slowly she released her grip on her hair as she tilted her head slightly up to look her visitor in the eye. She watched him silently and didn't move anymore as her hands touched the cold stone beneath her for support. No sound passed between them as they stared at each other, both waiting for the other to begin. In his lone visible eye she could she a hint of concern swirling within those dark depths. But it was soon covered up by a cold and hard look when her emotionless eyes locked with his. Feeling as if he could see right through her, see to her very soul; she broke off their eye contact and turned her head back to a normal position.

"You're blocking my view," Sakura stated. Her voice was her usual cold tone and it sliced through the still darkness like a knife through melted butter. He didn't move out of her view though and she hadn't expected him to. His gaze was still locked on her form as he stared down at her.

"What are you doing here?" he suddenly spoke after a few minutes of silence. He still hadn't moved and Sakura was watching the city, the part that remained unhidden by him blocking her view.

"I wanted to view the city at night. As far as I know this place isn't off limits," Sakura answered coolly.

"What are you doing here?" he said it with a bit more force this time.

Sakura sighed, and stood up so she didn't have to look up at him. "I just told you I-" She gasped surprised as his hand flew up. His fingers curled around her neck, squeezing while he coldly glared at her. Sakura's hand came up, resting it on top of his as her eyes narrowed.

"Let go of me."

"I asked you what you are doing here," he growled out, his eye flashing with hatred as his grip tightened.

"I already told you," Sakura ground out, gasping for more air as his grip tightened again.

"Stop trying to fool me girl," he snarled. "I know you are here for a reason, and I'm going to find out what." He let her go then, watching as the pink haired girl sank to her knees while her hands covered her throat. Her eyes flashed with anger as she stared up at him defiantly.

"I wasn't the one who brought me into this village in the first place Kakashi," Sakura replied. Her eyes still narrowed as she got back on her feet. She lowered her hand from her throat then, knowing that his visible eye looked at the glaring hand mark he had left on her as a hint of satisfaction flickered through it. "I was travelling randomly so don't try to scare me off with your stupid idea of me having a reason to being here. I was brought here because of you."

"Then why are you still here?" Kakashi fired back.

Sakura was silent then, her head lowering slightly as she seemed to ponder upon the answer she was going to give. "I don't know," she finally answered back, this time in a softer tone. But her lie didn't go unnoticed by the man before her as his eye narrowed to a slit. She stepped back when he came into her personal space once more, but it didn't deter him from walking towards her.

"Don't lie to me Sakura," Kakashi said, spitting her name out with sarcasm. "You may look like her, sound like her, you may even smell like her. But I **know **you are not her. You can't fool me like you do the others. I'll be watching your every step and I'll find out why you are here. And when I do," he stopped for a moment, letting her feel just how much in trouble she would be, "I will gladly hunt you down." And with that he disappeared in a swirl of leaves, leaving Sakura alone to her own thoughts.

Her eyes watched as the remaining leaves of his jutsu were carried away by the wind. She didn't move, standing like a statue upon the head of the third Hokage while her mind was occupied by just one thought. She needed to watch out for that guy; otherwise it might turn out wrong. She suddenly grinned, her eyes flashing wickedly as she thought back to the speed, agility and strength she'd seen him use in battle. Imagine what kind of fight that would be if she were to go up against him. She chuckled, grabbing a card from her pocket as she stared down at the Joker now lying in her hands. Her master had done well by giving her this job. It was going to be a challenge, and she was going to enjoy every step of it.

_**To be continued...**_


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N:** I want to thank everyone for the reviews, I'm glad you guys like it so much. A lot of you asked me what happened to Sakura. It will slowly be revealed throughout the upcoming chapters, this one being one of them. Special thanks to my dearest friend and beta V for checking this chapter and helping me approve.

**Disclaimer: ** I don't own Naruto. I only own the OC characters.

**Chapter 4:**

It was raining heavily. The raindrops thick and hard as they crashed down on the surface. Even though they were running through the woods, the leaves and branches weren't much shelter against the raindrops. The water making them bow to their strength and allow the cold liquid through. Sakura looked like it didn't bother her though. She kept on running without a single complaint, matching his every step while she was running alongside him.

Her breath was coming out in short pants, but she gave no sign that she couldn't take it anymore. He was mildly concerned about her, she was pushing her body over the edge with her injury on her left leg. The once white bandage he had strapped around it was already turning a dark red hue. The wound on her forehead was also bleeding heavily, making her close her right eye because of the stream of blood passing over it. Not to mention that the heavy flow of rain only made it harder to see correctly.

Another kunai was thrown towards them and as if they were one, the both turned, throwing a kunai in the direction of the enemy one. They managed to block it while continuing to run forwards. A small giggle escaped her lips, smirking as she spoke between breaths. "It's funny to see… we're now at the same level… Kakashi-senpai." Jumping onto the trunk that was blocking their escape, they leapt into the trees. Sakura groaned slightly, almost falling when she landed on the branch with her injured leg and slipped. But even before Kakashi could jump down to catch her mid-fall, Sakura swept her arm up grabbing another branch and used her fall speed to swing herself to another branch instead.

"Are you okay?" Kakashi asked when she was in hearing range. A simple nod was his only answer, but the grimace on her face whenever she pushed herself further on her injured leg, told him she couldn't take it for much longer. It was time to push their luck and search for a safe area where Sakura could treat herself so they could go further. But with the guys chasing them, it wouldn't be that easy to do.

It was as if Sakura knew what went on in his mind, because the moment the idea crossed his thoughts and he went closer to tell her his idea, a determined look was written upon on her face. Her hand was already slipping into her back pouch to grab one of her soldier pills. "Don't even think about asking," was the only thing she grunted before biting down on the pill.

He could immediately see the effects the pill had on her. Her leaps began more confident and stronger and the painful grimace vanished. Every bit of the pain that filled her senses whenever she used that leg was washed over by the pill's effect. Pushing chakra into their feet they launched themselves forward, moving with a speed that made them look like nothing more than blurs running through the woods.

They leapt out of the trees onto the water's surface, easily adjusting to the new ground and racing to the other side of the grand lake. At that time he took the chance to look behind him and see if any of their chasers could have kept up with their speed. So far so good, both his eyes couldn't pick up any signals that they were being followed. And he couldn't even sense a nearby chakra signature besides that of his partner running next to him.

He turned his head back, running towards the cliffs not so far from their current position. There was a small path, hidden between thick bushes that kept the path unseen by anyone who didn't already know of its existence. The path led to a bunker that had been used back when he was still in ANBU. He knew exactly where it was, being stationed there once when he was on an patrol mission.

He led her through the woods and sighed, inwardly relieved when the cliff came into view. Pushing the bushes away he let Sakura go in first before scanning the area one more time. Still he found no evidence they were followed and moved inside. He bent down slightly, his hair touching the ceiling as he walked through the small entrance hall. He stopped when he found Sakura pushing the door open that led to the bunker itself. Before he moved in though, he summoned Pakkun, ordering him to keep watch at the entrance for any unwanted visitors.

He rolled his shoulders as he stood back at full height once inside the actual bunker. He glanced around the new area and noted it hadn't been used for quite some time. Everything was covered in dust, and cobwebs decorated some corners of the ceiling. His partner had already pulled out a chair to sit on, her eyes closed as she leaned fully against the chair to regain her breath.

"Are you okay?" he asked while walking further into the room, before settling down in front of her to examine her injured leg.

"I'll be fine," Sakura said as she opened her eyes to look down at him. She didn't protest when he took off the cloth soaked by her blood. His eyes narrowed at the look of the wound. It was quite deep, the heavy blood flow renewing now that the pressure was gone. He stood up grabbing Sakura's pouch she'd already placed upon the table when she entered, and grabbed a new clean cloth and alcohol. Drenching the cloth a bit he kneeled down once again, and began to clean the wound. A hiss was all he heard from the pink haired jounin, but she didn't pull away or complain. When he was done Sakura leaned forward, her left hand glowing a dim green as she placed it upon her wound for healing.

"Do you think they will find us?" she asked, not looking at him, but staring at her leg while she continued to heal.

"I'm not sure. I didn't feel them back at the lake, but we're not fully safe here either."

"Hmm." Sakura leaned back, her now free hand moving upwards to heal the cut above her right eyebrow.

"I'm sorry." Sakura tilted her head upwards, a questionable look in her eyes as she stared at the man standing before her.

"I couldn't protect you, I'm sorry." His voice sounded pained and heavy with guilt. But Sakura's eyes narrowed, her hand lowering as she was done with her healing session and she glared at the silver haired men before her.

"I don't want to hear it Hatake," She said angrily. She stood up facing him straight on while she kept glaring at him. "You were busy with the chief and I took on the other three opponents. It was my own fault I got distracted and hit, not yours."

"If you hadn't jumped away on time it could have killed you," Kakashi muttered back. And only then Sakura knew what was really bothering him. Her glare vanished as her green eyes softened and wrapped her arms around him as he did the same. Kissing his masked cheek she let her head rest on his shoulder.

"You won't lose me that easily Kakashi. I won't leave you. I promised, didn't I?"

He nodded numbly, his hand coming up to stroke her damp hair. Closing his eyes he tilted his head down so his chin rested upon her crown and breathed in her scent that was mingled with that of the rain. He felt her hand come up and push down his mask. At the same time she shifted so she could capture his now bare lips with her own. They were still a bit cold thanks to the rain, but the warm ones of Kakashi made the kiss even more passionate. Her hand that had tugged down his mask was now resting on his neck. The other was upon his back, grabbing his vest with her hands to keep her balance.

His eyes were clouded, watching her through half lit eyes while caressing the bare skin at the neck with his thumb. He closed his eyes then and moved even closer, coaxing her to open her mouth and dipped his tongue into the hot cavern of her mouth. His eyelashes brushed her skin and made her shiver slightly and moan as his tongue rubbed against her own. Her hand slid into his hair and she began grinding her hips against him. This time it was his turn to moan. Pulling away from their kiss, he took a small gulp of air.

"Sakura…" He knew it was a bad idea to do this. But the fear he had felt hours ago, that he would have lost her if she hadn't jumped away was coming back. He had nearly lost her, nearly lost the chance to hold her and kiss her like he had done a dozen times since they'd started dating. The need to do that again was far larger than his warning to stop, he still wanted to know she was still there with him. Needed to know for sure that he hadn't lost her back there, but that she was still alive, her love for him still burning strongly within her.

Lowering his mouth back onto hers, he slowly led her out of the small room they had entered and into another one. The back of her calves hit the steel edge of the bed that stood within the room. Carefully, he lowered the woman in his arms onto the bed. His hands slid over her bare arms, before moving back to her shoulders and grabbing the zipper of her jounin vest. Slowly he pulled it down, kissing the newly uncovered skin that was revealed to him.

Her back arched upwards so he could pull the jounin vest off her arms and he threw it off the bed. Letting his hands travel down to the hem of her shirt he kissed her neck hungrily. Nipping the soft tender skin, before running his tongue over it to soothe the slight sting. While his hands traveled upwards once again they took her shirt with them, revealing more skin to his gaze. He started to suck on the same spot he'd previously nipped at, making Sakura groan and tighten her hold in his hair. Her hips bucked upwards, grinding against the rapidly forming bulge that showed quite clearly within his pants. When he released her skin he gulped for air, groaning when he ground his hips against hers as she moaned out in pleasure.

Her head turned in his direction, lust filled eyes locking with his before she moved to kiss him again. Her hands now traveled from his hair to the zipper of his own jounin vest. She pulled it down quickly unlike him and slid it off his shoulders as far as she could. He leaned back, breaking the kiss momentarily so he could shrug the vest and under shirt off before attacking her mouth again. Her feather light touches were driving him insane. His muscles tensed the moment her fingers ghosted over them. Pulling her shirt over her head, he let his hands roam over her skin. His mouth nipping at the soft, creamy skin of her neck while she arched into his touch.

Her leg came up an curled around his hip and before he knew it his back was touching the mattress and Sakura was straddling him. His breath was coming in soft, quick pants, his chest heaving in union with his quick breaths. Her hands ghosted over his well-formed abs, leaning over him so she could kiss the skin her hands travelled over. She stopped when she reached a perky nipple, softly licking it before encircling it with her mouth and sucking greedily.

Kakashi arched his back, moaning while his hands grabbed the fabric beneath him, scrunching it hard beneath his fingers. She leaned back up, kissing her way down while her hands found their way to the zipper of his pants. She nuzzled the bulge now before her, smirking seductively up at him from beneath her eyelashes when she saw it grow even harder. Stripping him off his pants and sandals she wrapped her fingers around his shaft and began softly stroked him, making Kakashi shudder and moan at the same time.

Her ghostly touching, her hot breath washing over his length was driving him made with lust. Pure pleasure shot through his veins when she took his length into her warm mouth. Her soft tongue licking his sensitive skin over and over again. Kakashi groaned, turning his head to the side while his back arched upwards in need. Sakura made him feel so wonderful, so alive. Knowing that if she continued to touch him this way he would lose control, he grabbed her by her shoulder. Pulling her arm at the same time he shifted so he was back on top. He wasted no time in pulling off her pants and combat boots. With a soft clunk they fell to the floor.

His heart was racing, the blood pounding as her body pushed towards him, her hot skin arching into his large hands, wanting and yearning to be touched. One hand traveled down, caressing the soft pink curls that covered her groin before dipping one finger between the folds of her sex. His mouth went dry and he moaned as he felt how wet she already was. His mouth latched onto her neck, suckling and nipping at her skin while she writhed beneath his touch. Gently he circled his finger around her clitoris and stroked the pad of his finger over the sensitive bundle of nerves, causing Sakura to moan loudly.

The scent of her arousal, her taste, the way she reacted to his every touch, kiss, movement... It was overwhelming his senses, making him want her all the more. He slid his finger inside of her, making Sakura pant his name between her moans of pleasure and began to pump it in and out of her entrance. He closed his eye and dipped his head lower, his forehead now touching her bare shoulder.

He inserted another finger, making her buck into his hand and move her hips to the rhythm of his thrusting. Her sounds became louder with every push of his fingers into her body. Her nails digging into the skin of his back as she arched, molding herself against him. Heat. There was so much heat and he was aching so bad to be buried inside of her. He placed his mouth near her ear, kissing the skin beneath it, before sucking on her earlobe earning another greedy moan.

He pulled out his fingers then, earning a disappointed groan from his lover as she panted beneath him. He soothed her with a small peck just behind her ear, pressing his powerful body against hers and positioning himself before her waiting entrance. He pushed forward, moaning in unison with her as her heat engulfed his head. Thrusting harder he pushed until he was seated to the hilt inside of her tight heat and groaned at how good it felt. He pulled out slowly, only the impale her once again.

Sakura screamed, her body writhing under his touch. Her legs came up and encircled his waist, locking him in place and her nails dug into his skin more as he began to speed up the rhythm. She could feel her body light with fire as the blood roared through her veins and her breath hitched every time he pushed inside of her.

One hand traveled to her thigh, caressing the sweat covered skin while he thrust into her mercilessly. Their breaths intertwined, his mouth touching every inch over her skin. He murmured quietly, groaning out her name and whispering exactly where he would touch her next. His other hand came up holding hers beside her head and he intertwined their fingers together.

She was still here with him. Loving him and living here beside him. She wasn't gone like he'd feared back then and all the feelings he had covered up were coming out. Kissing her more passionately, his eyes closed while a tear leaked out from happiness. She seemed to feel like he was feeling because her free hand came up, cupping his cheek and wiping his single tear away.

"I love you Kakashi." Her voice was soft and husky. But it didn't take her claim away or make the words any less real . His eye widened briefly, knowing that this was the very first time she had said it to him out loud. It was her first time not writing it down in notes or telling him with her actions.

He kissed her then, the heat between them spiking even more. His thrusts became harder, his other hand traveling down to rub the spot that would drive her insane. Her moans became louder, Sakura panting his name between the quickly gulps of air she could get before his mouth covered hers again. Driven by lust she met every thrust, writhing and moaning under him. Kakashi continued to touch her rub her sensitive clit when he felt she was close to letting go.

The sight of her, her head thrown back, exposing her neck to him... The way her face contorted into a mask of pure bliss. He just couldn't get enough and as he gazed hungrily at her, her lips parted , his name escaping them in a husky whisper. Her body still moved with his to get more of the pleasure soaring through her body, and he realised everything about her right now was beautiful.

He was mesmerized and couldn't take his eyes off of her. With one more final hard thrust, he angled his hips better and watched as she came. Her body shook, her breath caught in her throat and her back arched up to meet his as she cried out in bliss. That was more than he could handle, her body clamping around him in waves of pleasure was pushing him over the edge too. Rather than pulling back and thrusting in hard he rocked his hips into hers and groaned as he spilled his seed inside of her. Their bodies molded together and their mouths collided while the love, lust and everything in between burst out.

He collapsed then on top of her, spent. The iron grip she'd had on his waist loosened and she lowered her legs. Their hands beside her head were still intertwined, the fingers laced together and a small smile appeared on his lips. Lazily he kissed her jaw before murmuring softly into her ear.

Her green eyes widened, turning her head to look him in the eye and confirm that what she'd heard him say was right. Kakashi found a sparkle of hope in those green depths, giving him the strength and courage to say it once again.

"Will you marry me?"

**xXx**

His eyes shot open and a frustrated groan passed his lips. His hand came up to wipe away the sweat from his forehead and he turned his head to look at the alarm clock beside his bed. It was 5 am according to the clock. With a sigh he stood up, ignoring the wave of pleasure when his sheets caressed his aching erection. Stomping his way into the his bathroom he turned his shower on to cold and stripped himself of his clothing before hopping in. He hissed as the cold water touched his heated skin and closed his eyes, forcing himself to relax. But instead, an image of Sakura, moaning and writhing beneath him appeared before his eyes. Kakashi scowled, slamming his fist into the tiled wall as he lowered his head in dismay.

This dream was always plaguing him, ever since she'd got back. He wanted nothing more than to hold her, love like he had done then. But he knew that this one was an imposter. It couldn't be the lover he'd lost back on that mission. The mission where he'd proposed and she... He sighed knowing that wishful thinking wasn't going to get him anywhere. Washing his hair and body briefly he turned off the shower, stepped out and began to dry himself automatically while his thoughts wandered away.

Back in the old days, his sleep was plagued by nightmares of the night he had learned a lesson the hard way. Losing his best friend Obito on that mission back in Iwa. But now it only seemed to repeat between two dreams. The one he had just now where he still had her and another one. The one he hated the most. The one that reminded him of the mistake he'd made back then that had caused him to lose her forever.

He stopped briefly, a pained look on his face when he thought back to that time. Her scream, the way she'd cried out back then came back into his mind. She was crying, screaming his name... The tone of her voice filled with fright, pain and need. Need for him to help her. And he couldn't do anything but listen to her desperate screams while another was laughing darkly, enjoying every minute of what he was doing to her.

Sounds of rattling shackles, rats walking over the cold floor; squeaking, cold water dripping in a slow steady rhythm all driving him insane. Then her screaming stopped. A muffled sound of shackles being unlocked came then, followed by the sickening crack of a body slamming onto the ground. Then steps, heavy footsteps were coming his way. The door was slammed open, the blinding light rushing into his eyes made him close them, turning his head away from the source. Another sickening thud was heard, now very close and cold, insane laugh followed.

He forced himself then to stop remembering, his body already shaking with anger and grief. With force he rubbed his skin harder with the towel, leaving red marks behind cause of his brutal handling. He didn't mind though, he just wanted to forget. Rewind time.

Again wishful thinking, he scowled inwardly. Pushing the towel away he quickly dressed himself. Slamming the door of his apartment closed when he walked out, he began to make his way towards the memorial stone. His Icha Icha book was already open and placed before his face while walking, warning everyone not to bother him and just let him be.

Then he heard it when passing Ichiraku. Her voice, the soft melody he'd loved so much, which now gave him a feeling of disgust and loathing. He lowered his book, his single eye already narrowed to a dangerous slit and turned his head to look at the place. And there the abomination was. Sitting there like she belonged there with them. He gritted his teeth, anger pulsing through him as he stared at the girl that called herself **his **Sakura. The very person he wished could return, but was impossible to do. He forced himself to continue walking and not attack the imposter right on the spot.

He needed to wait, wait until he had enough proof so when he did kill her, the Hokage wouldn't throw him in prison for treason and killing a fellow colleague as well as her precious apprentice. Right when he made the first step in the direction he was heading too and away from Ichiraku's, a new voice yelled out to him. It seemed Naruto had finally felt his presence and turned to greet him with an offer to join them for breakfast.

Much to his distaste the woman beside him turned also, her green eyes not even widening in surprise when they locked onto his form. It seemed she already knew he was there and that fact annoyed him even more. Kakashi refused the offer, saying that he had other things to do. Naruto shrugged, turning in his chair to resume eating. But the pink haired woman kept looking at him, a vile smirk playing on her lips and her green eyes twinkling with delight while watching him walk away. He tightened the grip he had on his book. She was just playing with him, taunting him and it drove him mad. He had to stay cool, not lose focus. Because only he could expose this trash. And when he did, it would be his turn to grin. And with that in mind, he continued walking, carrying himself away from the scene while the green eyes watched him leave.

_**To be continued…**_


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Thanks for all the reviews, I'm glad you guys liked it. Sorry for the long wait.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

**Chapter 5:**

A month has passed since Sakura had arrived back in Konoha. She was used to some attention. She got it after all whenever her Master was near. But never did she had so much attention of a large group, preferring to stand in the shadows and watching over the crowd before making her move. But now when all eyes were fixed on her, she felt nervous even at some point weak. And she didn't like it one bit. She should have expected the welcoming party though.

The Hokage gave her the full clear, setting her back in the team she was in before she vanished from the bottom of the earth. She got back her jounin status and now that she didn't have to get any more tests, Naruto found that she needed a welcome back party.

So now standing in an overcrowded pub, she was forced upon stage, a microphone pushed into her hand. She didn't know what to say to all those people. She didn't even know them. As the noise died down, all eyes focused on her, waiting for her to open her mouth and give them a speech. She swallowed nervously, her grip unconsciously tightening. She wouldn't show their her weakness. She refused to do so.

Her mind raced, thinking of a proper thing to say in this kind of situations. What did her Master do when he gave out speeches? She'd been to several formal events with him after all. Knowing she had to speak soon, her mind already panicking as her hand slowly brought the microphone closer to her mouth. Taking a deep breath to shake off the nerves, she closed her eyes briefly. Her mind setting on the next thing that came into mind.

"Thank you all for being here," Sakura said unsteadily. She looked down and saw the bright blue eyes of Naruto beaming up at her. It gave her somehow comfort and the courage to continue. Straightening her stance she spoke further.

"I never had a party like this I think." She smiled a bit, and a few chuckled softly. "I might not know any of you as well as I used to. And I'm sorry for that. But I'm sure that will change over the time. I hope you all enjoy your time here and I'll speak to you some time later this evening. Have a good night!"

She gave the microphone back to the owner while the rest clapped for her speech. Well, that went well she thought. Sakura waked back to Naruto who had two drinks in his hands. Handing one over to her, he smiled one of his bright smiles before taking a gulp. Sakura followed his example before bending closer so he could hear her speaking over the loud music.

"Never do that to me again. Do you know how I hate speaking in public?"

Naruto shrugged. "I thought it would be appropriate to speak to them. All people that are here know of your condition. They are your best friends. I'm sure when you speak to them, you'll gain some memories back."

Sakura sighed. She had to give it to the boy. He had quite some spirit and his determination to get her memory back was admirable. But at sometimes it was quite annoying, hearing them talking about stories and their eyes locked on her face to see if she remembered it was wearisome. The disappointed sigh that came after when she just blinked blankly back when they were done talking.

"I'm sorry Naruto."

His head snapped up the quickly, his eyes showing his panic he felt inside. "No, no no! It isn't your fault Sakura-chan! Don't ever think it's your fault." He hugged her then, Sakura stiffening before she relaxed slightly. She felt an instant glare upon her form then and knew that the man was watching her from his usual dark corner.

She smiled softly, knowing it would irritate him more. "Thanks Naruto, for all your help," she chirped. She released herself from his hug then, excusing herself for a moment. And as she walked away, the smile went down back to her normal blank face. She hoped that she could somehow escape this place to somewhere quiet. She had after all a mission to finish. Her eyes swept around the pub once more, but just like she'd seen earlier, her target hadn't arrived yet. Reaching the bar, she sat down in one of the bar stools. Her hand came up as she signaled for a drink.

The man smiled, coming into her direction and leaned in so he could hear what she wanted. "A bloody Mary please." The man nodded turned away to make her drink. Sakura watched him briefly before she spun around, leaning back against the counter as her arms rested upon it. With a small nod of her head she greeted several people who were waving at her. Thank god they didn't see it as an invitation to come join her though, a fact she didn't mind it in the least. Tilting her head back, she grinned slightly, murmuring a thank you when her drink was placed beside her. Picking up her drink she sipped it briefly while her eyes scanned the room once more.

There were only a few people watching her, and if she played it right she could leave this party behind. She hadn't seen her target arrive just yet, and he probably won't even arrive. So she was only wasting her time here. A ringing of the bell before the door was heard as the front door was pushed open, and even though it was almost drowned under the blasting music Sakura could still hear it. Her eyes shifted towards the door, her eyes sparkling with delight to see who came in. Placing her drink back on the counter she stood up, walking towards her prey who was taking off his coat.

He turned around when Sakura was near, having finished placing his coat on the rack. "I thought you said you didn't do parties," Sakura smirked. She bowed her head briefly as Danzou moved passed her, her eyes watching his retreating form before turning back to the dark haired man before her.

"I didn't have any choice," Sasuke grumbled. "Ino wanted me to come."

Sakura chuckled softly. "More like threatened you to sleep on the couch for the next few days not to mention dry if you missed it." When he didn't comment anything back, Sakura knew she was right.

Shaking her head she walked passed him. Sakura was already gone before he could ask her where she was going. He shrugged then walked further into the bar to meet his girlfriend.

Sakura sighed relieved as she stood outside, her breathing visible in small clouds forming in front of her lips. She kept moving on automatic, her legs taking her to places she'd never seen but somehow felt familiar. She stopped before a fence, seeing the shadows of three small wooden pillars standing in the middle of an open field.

She wanted to keep on walking, but somehow her legs refused to listen to her command, forcing her to keep looking at the alien yet familiar place before her. It felt safe, completely normal to be on that field. As if she had been there all her life. She could tell that behind those trees on the right there was a small river, and extension of the lake. She could tell the best hiding spots, the places where you had to watch out for roots coming out of the ground.

Before she knew it she sat down, staring before at the scenery before her. It was so quiet, no sound of birds just the calmness of the night. And for the very first time she felt calm, her hands not aching to kill or murder. Her mind not racing through hundreds kinds of ways to escape or kill the moment something moved in her vision. And so slowly, she began to smile. Not a fake smile she had been doing all along since her arrival here. It was the smile she gave when her master petted her on her head when she did something right, when she was resting against his legs before the fire place while he was reading a book in his favorite chair.

She sat there for hours she guessed when two person stepped up behind her. Her senses didn't go on red alarm though, as the two humans approached her. It were only civilians after all, two who claimed to be her parents. They sat down, one at either side of her. They didn't say anything yet, just watching her silently before turning their heads at the scenery she'd been staring at.

When a few minutes had passed, her mother decided to speak up. "We should have known to find you here," she started softly. Her hand inched forward, her fingertips touching her right hand, as if testing the waters. When Sakura felt her on her skin, she pulled her hand back immediately, letting it rest in her lap instead.

She could see her mother flinch at her reaction. But it let her cold. She didn't like it when people touched the hand with the scar. Her mother didn't let it show that her reaction hurt her, and continued on talking. "We couldn't find you on your homecoming party."

"I already left." Her mother blinked surprised. As if she didn't expect her daughter to talk to her, or rather them. A small smile came then. "You never were a person for big crowds."

"Hn." Her mother not knowing what to say then, looked hopefully at her husband, seeking help to get her to talk and open up to them. Her father didn't react though, his eyes signaling back that he also didn't have the clue of what to do. She sighed softly then, feeling powerless to help her daughter.

But even though now in presence of two other people, the calmness she felt being here never disappeared. And she found it strange that and alien place like this could make her feel so safe. Remembering what her mother first said, she decided to ask why she should be found here. "Why?" Sakura spoke softly, her eyes finally releasing the scenery before her and seeking the warm and kind eyes of her mother.

"Why what dear?" her mother spoke out confused.

"Why did you know to find me here?" Sakura said, this time formulating her question better so she could understand what she was asking. Her mother understood then, her mouth opening in a small 'o' form before she smiled.

"It was your very first training ground dear. Here you have learned to fight and defend yourself and others. This is where you received your very first wound, spilled sweat, blood and tears to get better. This is also the place where you first defeated your genin Sensei together with your friend Naruto. Where you have gotten your very first kiss, even if it was accidental like you've told us years ago.

This place had been a major part in your life, and you always came here when you were troubled or needed to think. But that changed when you became jounin. You then seemed to prefer the Hokage Mountain more. But that was more if you wanted to get away from it all. And only few know to seek you there when you weren't found here."

Sakura nodded then. Satisfied with the answer she'd gotten. And before she knew it, her mother and father began to talk about her when she was younger. What for kind of person she was in their eyes. And as she looked at them as they spoke about her, she felt their proud, love and admiration for her. How they were broken and hurt when they heard she was gone and how relieved and glad they were when she turned up alive. They made her feel like she was important to them.

And once again she felt a sharp pang of guilt wash over her. She was trying to convince them she was their daughter. This sweet loving pair that did nothing to her or her master, it made it hard for her to swallow. But even in the end, she was doing this for her master. He would be proud on her when she killed the target she'd received from him and bring him one step closer to his goal. And these people were probably only acting nice to her because they thought she was their daughter. If she wasn't then they would probably left her cold, not caring who or what she was. She snorted then, feeling a bit better over herself when she thought that.

Wishing them goodbye she stood up to move back to her apartment. She stopped briefly to decline the offer to go with them, back to their house to talk so more over tea before turning into bed. She heard enough about this person to pretend to be her. And with them thinking she had amnesia, she didn't have to do it exactly by the rules. And if they thought she was acting weird, well she could blame her condition then. As she walked into her apartment her nose picked up a very familiar scent the moment she walked into the living room.

Squinting her eyes together she could see a large dark form resting on her couch and hearing by the soft snoring, it was asleep. She wasn't afraid though and didn't draw a weapon when she approached the dark figure. She stroked him over his furry head when she walked by, moving into the kitchen to get some raw meat. She was sure he would be hungry after such a long journey. And as she moved back into the living room, the figure hadn't moved, but she knew he was awake. He had after all sensed her presence, and with the soft touch she had given him earlier awoken him from his light slumber.

As she placed the meat before him, one bright yellow eye opened up lazily. His wet nose sniffed once, approving the smell and condition of the food placed before him when he began to eat in silence. Sakura leaned back against the couch, waiting patiently until her companion was done with his snack.

And as the last pieces of the meat was eaten, the wolf tilted down his head, letting his snout rest against the back of Sakura's shoulder. Sakura simply smiled, reached back with her hand to caress the dark grey and white fur. He closed his eyes in bliss, his bushy tail slowly moving up in down in enjoyment. He pulled away when he was pleased enough to his liking, yawning slightly as he stretched himself like a cat on the couch, shaking to get the sleep out of him before sitting up.

"Our master has a message for you alpha."

"How come you only visit me when our master wants something?" Sakura asked leaning back and snuggling into his fur. She inhaled slowly, smiling as she smelled the scent of her master on him.

"You're on a mission human, master wouldn't be pleased if he found out if I was risking your cover."

"And when has that stopped you from coming?" Sakura grinned. The wolf blinked, his yellow eyes showing his mischief and amusement. Sakura sighed, continued to stroke the animal as she waited for the message. But as he didn't speak further she looked up confused.

"What's the message Mamoru?" The wolf tilted his head up and only then did Sakura see the small white note attached to his black collar. While she grabbed the piece of paper a card fell on the ground, face down. Sakura glanced at it before she turned her attention to the note in her hands, rolling it open while Mamoru put his head back down between his front paws.

_Dear Child,_

_Time is running out. Pack is coming your way. You know what to do._

_Your Master,_

_PS: Don't forget to smile, it's a game after all._

Sakura lowered the note , bending down at the waist so she could reach the card that had fallen out. As she turned it around she saw it was the Ace. She smiled then as she lowered the card, knowing immediately who was coming her way. She turned her head briefly as her hand was nudged by Mamoru's nose, his yellow eyes looking up at her with curiosity. Resting her hand on top of his head she caressed his fur as she looked down at him. "Master is getting impatient, that's all."

He let out a small whining sound, tilting his head back down and completely relaxed under her ministrations. Sakura chuckled, amused by the wolf attitude. Normally he was only business when it came to visiting her before on missions, even though he had some days where he was warmer towards her. She was the alpha female in their pack after all. But that happened only twice since she'd known her master summon.

She didn't complain though and was glad of something familiar. With Mamoru here she knew that her master hadn't forgotten about her, and was silently watching over her while she was working. She also didn't feel so alone anymore like she had felt the past month. With Mamoru she could be herself, not pretending to be this goody-two-shoes woman she needed to be. And it felt nice.

"You're welcome to stay the night," Sakura offered, seeing how the wolf was slowly dozing off on her couch. "I'm sure Master wouldn't mind if you accompany me."

The wolf grunted and she knew he was very tempted to take on her offer. He could get yelled at for not returning immediately after his mission was complete. But his master hadn't said he had to come right after he delivered the message. And it was warm and cozy in here, while he have to run at least for eight hours on high speed without a pause to get even near the mansion. The night would already be over when he would arrive back home.

Sakura knowing she had almost won, decided to higher the stakes. "You can sleep on my bed end." That sealed the deal. He loved sleeping on a bed and while he wouldn't admit he had done this out loud but while he was waiting for his alpha female to get home he had seen the foster bed in her bedroom. It seemed very comfortable sleeping place for the evening. It even passed his test as he lay down upon it briefly.

"Alright, I'll stay the night," Mamoru grunted. But Sakura knew that he was glad she'd offered him to stay. She stood up, walking into the bedroom and leaving the door open so Mamoru could walk in. As she finished undressing and stepped into bed, she finally heard him coming off the couch. His claws making a clicking sound as he moved over the wooden floor. He pushed the door closed before jumping on the bed. He turned a small circle, seeking a good spot to lay down before he let himself fall upon the bed, the springs groaning slightly at the sudden weight.

Sakura smiled, turned off the light before snuggling closer to Mamoru. "Good night," She said softly, her hand already resting on his stomach, her eyes closing slowly. Mamoru kept watching her a bit longer, but as he felt no immediate danger for him or his alpha female he lay his head down and closed his eyes to go into a slumber.

_**To be continued…**_

* * *

For the question as to why Mamoru sees Sakura as his alpha female. Sakura's master is his master, and Sakura being the right hand of Jin, she's been seen as the alpha female of their pack.

Mamoru means protection.


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Sorry it took me so long to update. Thanks for the reviews/alerts/fav. It keeps me going ^^ Chapter 2 has been fixed. Hadn't noticed I uploaded the same document till Niya pointed it out. Thanks hun!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto. I only own my OC's.

**Chapter 6:**

The next morning Sakura woke up she noticed something was missing. Her hand stretched out to the other side of her bed. Nothing but sheets and mattress was felt underneath her skin. Opening her eyes she saw that Mamoru was gone. She sighed, sitting up and stared at the spot Mamoru lay last night. She hoped that he would be there for breakfast but it would probably risk it if anyone was to drop by. Murmuring a soft 'thank you' to none, she threw the sheets to the side, taking it with her as she moved towards the bathroom.

There she pushed into the washing machine together with some other clothes including her pajama and some soap before closing the door. Then she stepped into the shower, rinsing her body and hair. When she was finished, she dried off and dressed into the outfit she usual wore and put on the washing machine before making her way to the kitchen to make some breakfast.

Sitting down on the table with a plate filled with a sandwich and a cup of milk she stared at the Ace card and note her master sent her. Taking a bite of her breakfast she picked up the note as she chewed thoughtfully. She couldn't throw it away in the risk someone going through her stuff and find it. They immediately would know she was undercover and a fake, an imposter. She would be hunted before she could even complete her mission.

"I have to burn it,' Sakura mumbled under her breath. And so her dilemma was solved. Her hand moved in a few signs before lighting the note on fire. She already knew who her target was. She didn't need the note to help remind her. And satisfied she watched the note curl up and turn into asses. Sweeping the little, black particles in her hand she moved to the window. The window was opened slightly ajar so only her hand fitted through. As the cold wind touched her skin, she opened her wrist. Smirking, she stared at the vanishing evidence, taken away by the wind.

Sakura withdrew her hand and closed the window then, moving back to her dining table to eat the rest of her breakfast. Her plate was almost clean, a view more pieces of bread and bacon lying upon the platter, when she heard ticking on her window. She huffed in annoyance, turned only so to look over her shoulder what they wanted from her now. There was a black crow sitting on the window sill. Well, that wasn't totally expected. At least, not so soon. Grabbing a tissue from the box, she cleaned her mouth.

A nod was the signal for the bird that his deed was done. And it swiftly flew away. Her black boots that rested in the corridor hall were grabbed and quickly pulled one with one yank. She didn't bother to lock the door of her apartment as she walked away. It were only temporarily her stuff, nothing that couldn't be replaced. All the things that really mattered to her, she always carried it with her or locked up behind a seal no one could break without her. Well they could try. But the moment someone touches it that wasn't her they would be fried within moments. Not to mention she would know they had and be there within moments, ready to kill the ones stupid enough to try something like that.

Sakura was the first one to arrive, nodded at the Hokage before sitting down in one of the two chairs in front of her desk. She noticed the Hokage kept luring at her curiously. As if she was expecting something for her to do. But she didn't break her stare when Sakura finally turned her head to look at her directly in the eye. Sighing inwardly that she didn't get the hint, she rose her eyebrow in confusion. As if she was saying 'what did I do wrong?'. That seemed to help.

The door opened again. Three of her teammates walking in. All of them murmured a greeting, still a bit pissed off that they were called so early. They didn't have to wait long. The last and final member arrived five minutes later. Quite a feast since it usually would take a lot longer before he would appear when he was summoned.

Tsunade glanced at the team before her. All of them were already accustomed being around Sakura and having her back once again. All of them except for their team leader it seemed. The moment he came into the room and saw her, she saw his form stiffen. He didn't even turn to look at her or acknowledge her in any way like he would have done a couple of years ago. That was really weird behavior. She had given him permission to date her apprentice at the promise she would get to be the godmother's first born. She couldn't expect anything from Shizune after all. She was a loner just like her. But back to Kakashi. She knew it would be hard being around your own fiancé and knowing she didn't know a thing. But that wouldn't mean she needed to get the cold shoulder treatment. That was nothing for him at all. Especially against Sakura. She hoped they could work it out in this mission she was ready to give them. Her honey eyes swept over the room once more before Tsunade cleared her throat and began to explain their mission.

"There is an group of hostile ninja's reported at the northern borders of Fire. They already plundered local villagers. You're mission is to eliminate them."

A hand rose up in the air. Her honey eyes trailed the arm down to see it was Sakura who had risen her hand. "Yes Sakura?"

"When do you want us to leave?" her green eyes looked expectantly into the honey eyes of the village leader.

"Today. So pack your equipment you need and go. Dismissed!"

Sakura nodded. The chair where the girl was sitting upon was shoved backwards as Sakura stood up. With a quick bow to the Hokage, Sakura removed herself from the scene with her teleportation Jutsu. The door of her apartment was pushed open easily. Her feet carried her to the bedroom where her bag lay waiting. She always had one ready to it with her the moment she would be summoned. Heaving the bag onto her back, she snapped her belt on where the saya of her short katana was fastened. Her fingers fingered the hilt, anxious to use her weapon in battle. Soon. Soon can she finally lessen her thirst. The Ace card that was resting upon the surface on her desk was picked up and shoved into her pouch. Her eyes glanced at the still working washing machine. Her clothes will be turned into deadly fungi when she came back. Her answer came when she heard her neighbour whistling. Exiting her apartment she greeted the old man with a smile. He was one of the people in this building she exactly didn't mind hanging around with. Probably because of the reason he had been a hardcore warrior like herself. Good enough to surive his days without lasting injuries. She gave him the key to her apartment, telling him what had to be done while she was gone on a mission. The old man nodded, saying that it wasn't a problem at all to help a lady in distress.

And now having everything she needed, she threw her traveling cloak around her and started moving towards the Northern gate. She was the first one to arrive. Not that she expected any difference. Her green eyes settled on the two chunin stationed at the entrance. Having felt their gaze, she turned her head only so her eyes stared at them. Her face shadowed by her hood and bangs that partly shielded her eyes. She nodded then once, a vile smile playing on her lips. The young chuunins quickly averted their eyes then, and Sakura could feel the nervousness and slight fright radiate off of them. She smirked as she turned her head back to look back into the village, very amused at their reaction.

She didn't have to wait long. The others arrived soon after. The silver haired ninja of course, being the last. He walked straight passed them and without a word, he leaped into the forest to begin their journey. A low voice reached her ears. And even though Naruto was muttering under his breath, she could clearly hear what he was saying; his tone quite annoyed as he spoke over their leader.

Sakura stayed on her spot, waiting until all three of them had passed her before she leaped after them, closing the group. Normally she would be running at front. There was where the most action was after all most of the time. But now a certain ninja walked up front she couldn't risk exposure. He was sharp after all. Where she had fooled all other, he wasn't the one that fell for her trick games. Not yet at least. And there was another reason. If it was true that the group they were assigned to kill was the one she thought she was, she had to stay in the back. Knowing her Master and his tactics, they wouldn't know she would be among them. He liked mind games after all. And having trained with the guys she knew every little tactic of them. So staying behind and mask her chakra in a way they haven't felt her done before only made the hunt, or game as her master called it, way more interesting.

They traveled all day, and when the sun was threatening to sink within the earth, he called for a quick stop to set up camp for tonight. None of them complained or said anything as they quietly but quickly set up their tents. Sakura had gathered the wood for the fire and set back then by her own tent as she waited to be called. Naruto was busy making their dinner and Kakashi was probably scanning the area. Not that he probably needed it, Sakura guessed. A warrior like him knew his own land with every branch and tree. She felt his lone eye on her while she patiently sat before her tent. And when he finally came back down and said that the area was secure, Sakura smiled snorting. Knowing that he'd done anything but. Their eyes locked for the first time that day, and Sakura knew that he knew, that she knew, that he'd been watching her all along.

She wasn't chosen to take any guard shifts, Kakashi had taken care of that. The moment she wanted to say she would take the last one, Kakashi quickly said he would take that one upon himself as well out of the goodness of his heart. Sakura didn't say anything. It didn't bother her that he didn't trust her. She didn't trust him as much as he didn't trust her. So with the shifts arranged Sakura retreated rather early into her tent. She wasn't in need for any company. Not of them anyway. Pink strands lay sprawled over her cushion as she laid on her sleeping bag. Her eyes settled on the three forms surrounding the fire before closing them to fall into a light slumber.

The next day they arrived at the small village Tsunade was taking about and where the group was last seen. The whole village lay in ruins. Houses were burned down or partly torn apart. The streets was littered with blood and bodies of the inhabitants. Clearly none was left alive.

"Search for any survivors or clues," Kakashi ordered.

Sakura shook her head but did as she was told. Even Kakashi would know there weren't none alive in these ruins after seeing such sight. So why was he ordering them to look around? Maybe somewhere deep within in he held hope that at least some one was away durning the slaughter and arrived later home to see his village in ruins. But who was stupid enough to stay there then? Anyone with a set of brains knew to get the hell out. Grumbling under her breath she kicked and mindless piece of wood away, probably used for one of the roofs. She stopped walking then as a little teddy bear came into view. One arm was torn off, his furry coat filthy with dirt, dust and streaks of blood. Entranced she walked towards the coddle bear, picking it up as her green eyes searched for the owner. And further within the ruins of the home she was walking in, she found a young girl whom probably wasn't any older than fourteen, dead upon the ground. Her head was tilted to the side, her mouth partly open where Sakura could see the dried blood that probably at one time, had heavily flown out of her mouth and onto the ground.

As Sakura stared at the young lifeless girl resting upon the ground, a torn, feeling welt up within her. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened to let out a surprised gasp. It felt like as if something was ripped from her mind and forced to come out. She blinked as strange noises began to reach her ears. First it was soft like a whisper but soon it felt like she was in the middle of the whole event she could hear in her head. The sound of flames cracking loudly, screams of a woman and terrified cries of a child. A bright white flash made her blink again. But as she opened her eyes, she was in a burning home.

In her hand she held a teddy bear. Much alike the one she held before, but this one was still whole and no damage at all. Her eyes looked around in the scene and she could see flames licking at the walls around her, black smoke already filling up the ceiling and threatening to suffocate her if she stayed any longer. The heat that erupted from the flames was burning her alive. Than the sound of glass breaking reached her ears and she screamed as she felt little pieces penetrating into her skin.

"_Mommy!" _She ran out of the room, blood trickling down her wounds and leaving a small trail behind as she ran. Another scream erupted from the little girl as a part of the roof fell down not far from her. She coughed, her emerald eyes tearing up from the smoke and emotions taking the toll of her.

"_Mommy where are you? I'm scared!...Mommy!" _

Her terrified eyes watched as the flames began to surround her, cutting off every escape she had. Why wasn't mommy coming? What was so important that she couldn't come? She stumbled over a fallen piece of furniture, falling flat upon her stomach onto the floor as she couldn't keep her balance. She hitched as a sharp jolt of pain ran through her hand. And as she tilted it up she could see the broken piece of glass from a photo frame. She stared at the laughing faces that stared back up at her.

And then the worse thing happened. The floor gave out and as the girl gave out a terrified scream she fell down. Everything was blurry the moment she woke up. Next to her bloodied and broken hand was her teddy bear, now his arm half torn of his torso and one eye was now missing. And as she turned her head she saw another hand lying closely to her own.

Wincing at the pain as she moved, she went to grasp the hand that felt strange somehow. Her eyes fell upon the form of her mother, the woman she'd been calling out to all along. Her body was broken and covered by a large piece of the wall that had fallen upon her. She began to pull at the hand, screaming at her to wake up. A sudden yell reached her ears and as she turned around, a dark figure kicked the door in. Her eyes stared at the black shoes that stopped before her, ignoring the hand that was held out to her.

"_Come little girl. Your mother is dead. You have to get out of here before you befall the same fate as her."_

She sniffed, following the dark blue clad legs to the face of the stranger who'd been talking to her. Piercing green eyes much like her own stared down at her with kindness. And even with the flames alighting his skin and giving it a brownish glow she'd could tell that he was inhumanly pale. Not knowing what else to do, she reached her undamaged hand out to his. She was picked up and carried out of the burning house. His black bangs that hid his right eye was tickling her skin on her arm as she wrapped her left arm around his neck. Her eyes stared at the broken body of the woman who had taken care of her, her whole life. Her lifeless hand next to the teddy bear she'd left behind. Her eyes blind to the blood that seemed to be everywhere like the flames. And then she closed her tired eyes, resting her cheek against the shoulder of the man who carried her away into safety.

And then it was gone. The sounds of fire crackling loudly in her ears and the last vision of her broken mother made way back to the young girl lying before her. She felt someone shake her by her shoulder but it didn't register that she should be reacting.

"Sakura!"

Her eyes stared down at her hands and saw that she at some point had dropped the teddy bear. The shaking stopped a moment after. And then out of the corner of her eyes she could see a hand speeding towards her face. Before it even could touch her cheek, she grabbed the offending hand at the wrist, stopping it in mid air.

"Finally Sakura. What happened?" The worried voice of Naruto called out to her. "Are you okay?"

The woman blinked once again, making sure the memory wouldn't flash before her eyes again. Then as if nothing happened, she tore her eyes away from the teddy bear and the girl and settled her gaze upon her team mate instead. She released him from her grip as she turned around.

"I'm fine. Found anything useful?"

"No, unfortunately not. Kakashi ordered us to get back where we first arrived. His nin dogs already picked up the trail of the bastards who did this." Sakura nodded, stepping over the small piece of the wall that remained standing and began to walk back.

Naruto glanced at the little girl and her stuffed animal before glancing back at her friend. Quickly he followed Sakura out, and decided to ask why she was so frozen at the spot by seeing the girl. Sure it was a horrible sight, but Sakura had seen much worse. So why had this affected her so badly?

"What happened back there?" He asked carefully. At first he didn't get a response much like he'd expected. This Sakura was more closed up after all and he couldn't blame her. He would be too if he'd lost his memory and was suddenly thrown into a group that claimed to know everything about him. But then the unexpected happened and she began to talk.

"The young girl reminded me of something."

"Oh," Naruto replied. He waited a bit longer but as she didn't speak further, he knew she was done talking.

"Reminded you about what?"

A sigh erupted from her then and an annoying glance came his way. "You're being very noisy, do you know that?" She shook her head, clearly not amused. She didn't speak further and Naruto stopped asking. After all, Sakura wasn't a fun person to be around at if she was angry and he didn't want to be the cause of that. He'd talk with the others later this day. Maybe they knew why the little girl upset her so much?

**xXx**

Sakura ignored the glances Naruto gave her when they were traveling. Ever since that little episode he'd seen he was worried something might thick her off again. That little girl she'd seen back there could have been her if Master hadn't shown up. Upon that day she'd lost her parents and became orphaned. But at the same time she'd gained a friend and a guardian who'd been watching over her since then. He took her into his home, treating her like she was his own. And she couldn't have been more thankful. What would have happened if he hadn't been there? She shook her head, not wanting to dwell on such thoughts. They were only if's and it could never occur since it all happened in the past. The point was that he did show up.

Suddenly her head snapped upwards, her eyes widening before they narrowed. It was them indeed who'd caused such massacre back at the little village they'd left several hours ago. She'd recognize them anywhere. Seeing that Kakashi altered his speed let her know that he knows they were coming close. But feeling them so strong made her believe they already noticed them, because every growing minute their signal grew stronger and stronger. And soon they were upon them.

Before either of the men could react, Sakura's hand slipped into her pouch and grabbed three shuriken with one hand. Her eyes snapped up at the targets as her feet momentarily glowed a faint blue as she pushed chakra into them. Jumping off the tree branch, she lurched herself forward, moving over her team mates whilst throwing her shurikens.

Two of the three were deflected, the last one scratching one of the enemies cheek. She landed on the tree branch Naruto was now standing. His eyes looked at her amazed at how fast she'd reacted.

"Is that all you can do bitch?" the man laughed. He whipped the blood from his cheek with his sleeve. A grin showing as he stared at the cloak covered shinobi. "Just a scratch."

"A scratch that's going to kill you over one minute," Sakura replied coldly. The man blinked surprised. And a flash of fear leaked into his eyes before it vanished.

"You're lying," he growled. But his voice was less amusing than it was before. This time it had a more nervous ring to it.

Sakura laughed, her eyes dead. Showing no other emotion than blood-lust. A wicked grin came as her laugh faded into a chuckle before she spoke. "Believe what you want. Is your funeral today after all."

And with that she disappeared in a green flash. Their opponents looking around to see where the girl went to. But even as they waited, she didn't come back. The man with the scratch snorted and finally turned his attention to the remaining four.

"It seems she's abandoned you all, hah! What a-." His eyes widened in shock as his voice refused to comply to his demands. The sword he held in his hand was released from his grasp as he sunk to his knees. His eyes were taken over by fear, not knowing what was about to happen. And as he tried to gasp for air, a small giggle seemed to surrounded them. A feminine voice spoke out softly then. "I told you. Say hi to your mother for me scum."

And at the moment the voice faded, the man lost his balance. As his now lifeless body fael out of the tree, he hit the ground. The sound of bones creaking at the impact. The companions stared at him stunned. Not believing that one of them had already fallen so easily. And at a hand of a mere woman as well. Speaking of the devil, the girl appeared back next to her friends. Her face still hidden behind her hood and the only thing they could see was the wicked grin that was aimed at them.

"Who's next?" Sakura said eagerly, looking at them one by one. She didn't care if she scared them or her team mates. This was finally some action she'd been waiting for. And nothing could take away her fun.

The man seemed to have gathered up their courage and had charged at them, well more specifically her. That was when the four finally seemed to get they were in a battle Sakura guessed. Because the moment the men leaped at her. Three of them raced forward to protect her.

And as they battled, her eyes sought for the one person that was hers to kill. She had the invitation of him after all. And she didn't want to disappoint her master after giving her his trust to deal with it. A yell brought her out of her thoughts. And as she turned she easily counter attacked the man who'd come at her. She sighed. She should tell her Master he should employ better fighters next time. They were wasting her time while she could have been fighting with him right now.

She grinned at their tactics though. She and her team mates were driven apart. She'd long lost Naruto, Sai and Sasuke out of her view. But somewhere on her right she could feel Kakashi's signature. Great. With all the ones she'd could be split up with, she's gotten the man whom didn't trust her at all. He had great skills, she couldn't deny that. He seemed almost as bored as she was with the tactics of the men, who kept attacking him. Thinking they were superior of him because of his gray tinted hair.

With a huff, she leaned backwards. Her hand touching the ground as she did a back flip. Her feet kicking the weapon out of the hands of her enemy. She scooped it up easily, throwing it straight back to the owner with blinding speed and accuracy. The steel blade hit him square in the chest. The man screamed out in pain as the point came out on the other side. At least she'd almost killed them all. Only a few were left standing where she was.

Sakura glanced at the side where she could feel her superior. Her eyes briefly widening before glowering with amusement. Her hand slid towards her short katana, already having a grip on the hilt. And as she ran to his being with speed, the short katana was drawn from its sheath. Ready to strike at her command. And when she reached him, she made a movement to strike. The only thing she saw was his lone eye widening in surprise before a spurt of coppery blood splashed into her face and momentarily blocking her view.

_**To be continued…**_


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Sorry for the long wait. It is a bit of a filler chapter, sort of. But I want to do more research to make the battle between Sakura and her target better than the ones you're used seeing from me. Also for information for my story, the power of youth. I first going to finish this story, since it is a total different feeling (dark, sadistic etc.) then p.o.y. And for not messing up that one, I put it on a hold for now. Ideas for the upcoming chapters are welcome for both stories, this one and p.o.y. Thanks for the reviews, and hope you enjoy this new upload.

**Disclaimer:**I don't own Naruto. I only own the OC's.

**Chapter 7:**

The silver haired man blinked, his mind trying to interpreted what just happened. Sakura chuckled at his dumbfounded look that seemed to haunt his face. Her hand that held the short katana was temporarily sheathed in the neck of the attacker Kakashi hadn't seen coming. The man coughed, more blood spitting out of his mouth and landing on the female before him. With a quick swipe backwards and her free hand pulling on his hair, the head was torn off the torso. The moment Sakura heard the sound of tearing skin and felt the resistance fade, she let the hair go. The head was swung away from them, hitting the bark of a tree not far from their left. A sickening thud was heard and the head was now resting at the roots, the blood that was still circulating in his head soaking the grass beneath him.

The blade of Sakura's katana was coated with coppery blood, small drops dripping down the sharp point onto the ground beneath. Sakura stared at the body now lying in a lifeless pile in front of her feet. Her face was completely covered in blood by the spurt that came out the moment his head was torn off. Her clothes weren't better off either. With a snort she grabbed the edge of her cloak. Her eyes searched for a good spot that wasn't soaked yet and rubbed the blood off her face before using it to clean her blade. A soft click was heard as her trusted weapon sunk back in its place.

A huff of annoyance escaped her lips then as she stared at the right side of her body. She already wondered why she felt a slight restraint there when she moved, not to mention itching. The blade that was aimed for Kakashi was now sticking out of Sakura's side. With a quick pull, the small dagger came loose.

"Stupid blade," she mumbled, throwing the offending dagger onto the headless body before her. Sakura finally turned at the man she protected who hadn't said anything since she appeared out of nowhere and saved his ass. His eyes was scanning over her, a hint of disgust by seeing all the blood that covered her. It wasn't a sight he wanted to see ever again. It was rather disturbing watching a woman who had the same look as the love of his life behead a man. And what made it worse was that she enjoyed it too. He could see it in her eyes when she turned to him. Her eyes sparkling with sick enjoyment. This already proofed that this Sakura wasn't his at all. His never loved bloodshed, and avoided it whenever she could. She was a person to tend to the sick and wounded, and when she was forced to kill someone, she did it quickly and painless as possible. But she. It seems as if she wanted to draw as much blood and giving her victim as much pain as possible before she'd released him with his death.

"A thank you for saving my ass is appreciated," Sakura said mockingly.

Kakashi gritted his teeth, glaring at the woman before her. Sure he hadn't seen that attack coming. And for a minute when she appeared with her short katana drawn he'd thought it was the end of him. But instead of feeling her katana sticking in his guts, she saved him. But why? He knew her secret and it would work in her favor if he'd be dead. But she saved him. She even took a hit that was meant for him. Or this was just an act of him getting to trust her? There were so many possibilities, reasons why she'd done this. Even if this would put her into view as a friend, he still didn't trust her at all. It just didn't feel right. The air around her seemed different. And sure his mind said it was because of the amnesia this could have occurred and he was just seeing things. But a little voice in the back of his head and not to mention his heart said to look out and be wary about her.

"Tch. Talk about gratitude." Sakura snorted when he hadn't answered her yet, her voice still mocking and cold. She was slightly annoyed he just kept staring at her. So she simply turned her back on him. The other opponents had already fled the area, probably emptying their stomach near some bushes as they would think back at one of their friends being beheaded. They should be lucky that they were still alive and not at her mercy.

Her green eyes fluttered closed as she concentrated on her surroundings. Her chakra swept through the roots and life around her. Touching it's being to be identified before it pulled back to search further. And then she finally felt it. The chakra she'd been searching for all along. He wasn't alone though. Someone was with him. If her senses were reading it correctly, they were only 3 miles away from her position.

Her eyes snapped open, turning sharply on her heels. Her feet began to glow a faint blue light, her muscles preparing for the fast sprint she was about to pull. And then in a split second she was gone. Becoming a dark blur that raced between the trees to her object.

Her action shook Kakashi awake from his thoughts. His mouth opened to yell at her to order to stay put. But before even a sound escaped his lips she was already gone. Sighing in annoyance he sprinted after her. She won't be out of his sight, not when he knew she was a fraud. He silently cursed just how fast she had become, forcing himself to go even faster than he normally traveled. He wondered why she took off so suddenly and when he began to check the surroundings, his eye widened in shock. She was running towards Naruto. Maybe it was him she was after. She was clingy to him after all. She always tried to be alone with him, and thanks to his spying and following her around whenever she left, she couldn't do anything. She always smirked at him when Naruto pulled her with him. As if she had won the fight they'd been fighting. With this in his mind he pushed himself further, running as fast as he could catch up with Sakura.

Branch after branch, she jumped through the woods rather quickly. The chakra signatures she'd felt coming closer as the minutes passed. It wouldn't be long until she would reach them. She already could see the trees making way for an open field. With a last spurt of chakra she jumped out of the trees, landing onto the ground of the open field. As she stood there, her knees bent as she was hunched over the grass, she looked up.

Naruto was standing in the middle of the field, his eyes clouded as he looked forward. Her target was standing before him. Briefly she wondered why Naruto wasn't doing anything. The question was answered when she looked into his clouded eyes. He was under a genjutsu. The feel of Kakashi's chakra signature nearing closer, pushed her to act now before he could reach them. Running towards the two she heard the leaves rustling against cloth and knew Kakashi was here. Her senses gave the alert then but paid them no heed. With a chakra enhanced hand she touched Shouji's hand. At the same time she felt something sharp sinking into her skin. Not expecting to feel that she hissed, her concentrating slightly fading and causing the attack she had prepared to falter. Instead she teleported the two of them away from field, leaving Naruto and Kakashi behind.

The moment the two left the open field Naruto was released from Shouji's hold. His bright blue eyes blinked confused, his eyebrows furred as he swayed on his place. He groaned softly as his hand reached upwards to support his head. The blonde turned his head when he felt someone touch his shoulder.

"You okay?" The voice of Kakashi filled his ears.

He nodded, still a bit unfocused. But as his eyes scanned over the field once again a question rose up within him. "Where is that man I'd been fighting with?"

The grip on his shoulder was slightly tightened. "He and Sakura teleported away somewhere," he sighed.

Bright blue eyes widened with shock, turning his head sharply as the words entered his brain. How could he stand there so calmly while Sakura was fighting of this bastard?! She just saved him from the hold that mad man had on him. To be honest, he had been cold towards his pink haired friend since she'd returned. His eyes narrowed angrily. It was his fault after all that Sakura had been lost for two years. She was taken on their solo mission together. And maybe he had buried his feelings or friendship he felt for her. But that didn't mean Sakura stopped meaning something for him. He would not lose her again. Not so soon after getting her back into his life. He couldn't bear to stand the pain he had felt the first time she'd vanished.

"Then what are we still doing here?" Naruto growled. "She might need our help!"

"I'm sure she'll be fine."

It only angered the blond nin further. He pushed Kakashi's hand from his shoulder with force, turning around to glare at him, straight into his lone onyx eye. "How can you say those things?! We finally got her back Sensei! And all you do is being cold towards her. You know how it tears me apart to see that?" He could see Kakashi's eye widen in shock. Good, the damn bastard needed a wake-up call. "You know how hurt I was when you came back alone? Telling us that she wouldn't come back to us anymore? Why can't you be happy like the rest of us? Sakura is back! Okay, she might be a bit different."

"A bit different?" Kakashi wanted to laugh. This Sakura was nothing like the one he'd loved. "She isn't anything like the old Sakura."

"And that is all your fault!" Naruto yelled at him outraged. All his anger he'd felt the past few years were finally coming out. He didn't want to say all those things, but his mouth was already moving without consenting his brain. "You couldn't protect her! You swore to always protect you're comrades, to never give up on them! Because of you she is like this! Because of you she can't remember us!" He stopped momentarily with his outburst, taking a deep breath as he glared at the elder man before him. He was silent, his eye showing hurt, agony, sadness, guilt all mixing together in his one visible eye. It made Naruto feel guilty too. To make the man he looked up since his genin years to feel this way. But he couldn't stand his behavior anymore.

"If you hate her fine," he continued. This time not yelling anymore. His point was already across. "If you have given up at her fine. I don't care anymore. But I won't give up on Sakura like you are doing right now. I wasn't there when she'd got missing. I couldn't help her. But now I'm here. And I won't give up until I have her back. I won't. She's my first love, my first best friend that kept standing next to me, my sister. I'm not giving her up, I love her too much for that." He turned his back to Kakashi then.

"I'm going after Sakura. Are you coming with me or not?" He didn't get an answer. And to be honest, he didn't even expect one.

"Fine." And with that Naruto ran in a random direction, not wanting to be alone with Kakashi anymore. Sakura was out there somewhere with this lunatic and he'd be damned to let her fight alone.

"You're going the wrong way," a voice suddenly called out to him. He stopped running, turning around to smile at the man who'd decided not to give up. ' _'Bout time Kaka-sensei, about time._' With a nod and a smile to the leaf shinobi headed for their pink haired teammate, he turned sharply on his heels. His blue eyes locking on the jounin's back as he led the way.

**xXx**

The moment Sakura felt the earth against her feet again she pulled away abruptly. Her hand twisting back to yank out the shuriken abed in her shoulder. She threw away the offended piece of metal before she straightened her stance and looked at Shouji. The moment she looked into his dark blue eyes she felt the pull of genjutsu. With a smirk she disabled it immediately.

The young butler blinked confused. None had the ability to break his genjutsu. Only the one he served, Jin Tau and his little pet. His eyes widened in realization then.

_flashback_

_The heavy oak door was pushed open, Shouji's form coming out of the small opening before it was closed yet again. His dark blue eyes glided over the marble floor to the gray, white furred wolf sitting next to a dark brown desk. The animal was staring up at his master who was sitting on the leather chair behind the big desk, the back of the chair facing him._

_A small ring of smoke appeared next to the chair's back as he heard a small release of breath. The fire in the fire place his King was staring at was crackling happily, filling the normally cold room with his warmth and sound._

_He cleared his throat, hoping to catch Jin's attention of his arrival. But knowing him, he already knew he was here the moment he stepped into the room. The chair was turned and green eyes settled upon his slightly nervous form._

"_You summoned for me King Jin?" He said whilst bowing down till the waist as a greeting for his master. He shivered inwardly when the yellow eyes of his wolf stared straight into his. He never really liked animals, especially ones that could kill you._

"_I have indeed," Jin said in a cheery voice. He tapped his cigarette above his silver astray , the ashes crumbling off the end. He rose it then back to his lips, taking a small drag before lowering it once more._

"_I have a task for you my loyal servant. Something I can only trust on you."_

_A wave of flattery come over him, and smiled briefly. "I'll be honored my King. What is it that needs my attention?"_

_Jin smiled, pleased with his reaction. He placed the cigarette in his hand upon the astray, grabbing the letter he'd prepared before and binding it to Mamoru's collar. When his hands retreated, the wolf got up from his sitting position and moved silently out of the room._

_After having tapped his cigarette again he spoke further. "There's someone who needs to be tested. To see if she's ready. You'll be taking a small group of mercenary to the border of Fire. Attack the small villages there to attract her attention. She'll come to you eventually."_

_Shouji nodded. "But how do I know if it's her?"_

_Jin laughed, Shouji's hair standing up in the back of his neck as the sound of his laughter shook him to his bones. "You'll know," the short black haired man said chuckling. "You'll know."_

_Flashback_

"So it's you he wants to be tested," Shouji gasped breathless.

Sakura shrugged, smirking at the flabbergasted man before her. Her hand reached up to push her hood down, there was no point in hiding who she was now that Shouji found out. "Apparently he thought that if I could defeat you, I'll be able to kill his former student."

Even though that was a very flattering thought, Shouji being compared to Jin's student, but he really didn't want to fight her. Even without this little test he knew she was ready for it, even his master knew it. So why was he doing this? Didn't he serve him good enough? He never heard complains. He sighed heavily, his dark blue eyes clouded with hurt. His master betrayed him, played him like a little pawn for his own game. And now that he had Sakura at his disposal, he didn't need him anymore. He was thrown aside to make way for his new toy.

But if he thought that he would go down easily, Jin Tau had another thing coming! He would show him how worthy he was to keep serving him. Sakura was strong yes, but even the strongest warriors had their weaknesses. And his advantage was that he knew hers. He had seen her fight many times, training it the court yard with her master while he hid in the shadows, watching. As far as he knew, Sakura never saw him fight. They only fought once in practice. And only then had he shown his master ability in genjutsu.

Shouji straightened his stance with new found strength. His eyes narrowed in concentration and he lifted his chin with confidence. Sakura smiled, seeing the change in the butler. She heard great stories about this man, his gruesome victories, slaughters to be more specific. First she was a little disappointed when she saw his form slumping. He even looked a little intimidated by her, even frightened. Sure it gave her an ego boast to see such fine warrior cower at her feet, but the kind of battle she wanted wouldn't happen. So seeing him standing there with confidence and a smirk of his own, she knew this battle was going to be the one she'd been searching for.

"I hope you're ready."

"Oh, I'm ready alright," Sakura chuckled darkly. Her eyes slowly being clouded with blood-lust. She cocked her head then, a vile smirk showing. "The question is are you?"

_**To be continued…**_


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

Sakura chuckled darkly, her eyes shining with glee. A kunai was thrown towards her throat, but the moment it hit Sakura's body it was replaced with a log. Shouji huffed, his eyes searching to find the girl. He had to be careful. She was way more skilled than the ones he had fought before.

A hand crept out from under the ground and encircled around his ankle. The moment the grip tightened his body was pulled in. Sakura appeared back in the surrounding, staring at the log she'd used second before that replaced her own body now replaced his. She chuckled lightly at the irony.

"Katon; Housenka!" Came a loud cry behind her. Her head turned sharply, her body twisting and jumping around to avoid the multiple blasts of fire coming her way. When the wave was over, she grabbed her short katana. Her arm swept backwards to gain more speed before she released the hilt and sent it flying towards Shouji.

"Wakizashi, Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Thousands appeared next to her own short katana. All flying into the direction of Shouji.

His dark blue eyes widened slightly. He did a back flip. Using the speed and adding chakra to his feet to jump into the air high enough to avoid most blades. He couldn't avoid one that sliced his arm. Sakura smirked. He did exactly what she wanted him to do. With a small teleportation jutsu she was flying next to him. With a chakra enchanted fist she hit him square in the face, sending him flying back to the ground.

With a painful smack Shouji landed back, sliding over the earth until he stopped as his back hit a stone. He grunted, whipping the blood away that trickled down his mouth corner. His eyes were all the while glaring at the young girl who landed safely on the tree branch several feet away from him.

Sakura was still smirking on her spot. She walked towards the base of the tree trunk, yanking out her wakizashi and placing it back in its sheath. "Is that all the great Shouji can do?" Sakura called out to him mockingly. She only did it to get a rage out of him. It would be far more easier if he would attack while his judgment was clouded through his emotions. But her plan didn't work.

"Just warming up my dear," Shouji replied calmly. And with that he disappeared from her view. Sakura's eyes widened slightly. She opened up her senses trying to locate him and smiled when she did so. With an easy flip she dropped out of the tree and ran into the direction where she felt him.

With a quick burst of chakra she ran into him. He didn't react fast enough and soon Sakura punched him multiple times using Taren Ken. With the last punch in the series she slammed him into the ground. She panted slightly, already half way through her chakra reserve. Her eyes narrowed as Shouji disappeared in a poof smoke. It was only a simple clone.

"Senbon no Iwa!"

Sakura gasped, groaning as one spike cut a deep gash into her leg. She stumbled across the field while trying to sense him. But still no signal answered her. She was just a sitting duck right now. Out in the open without knowing in which direction he could attack her from. Her mind raced through the jutsu's her master thought her and quickly came upon one that could help her in this situation.

When her hands was done with the seals and released the right amount of chakra, a thick fog came up, disorientating her opponent senses. As she reached a fallen tree trunk, she leaned against it. Her eyes gliding over the fog covered field before lowering them to concentrate on her wound.

She couldn't use her chakra right now to heal her wound completely. Shouji was nowhere near down yet, and she needed to use every bit amount of chakra she'd left to kill him. But she also couldn't continue with a gaping wound in her leg that hindered her movements. Grunting in frustration she decided on healing the flesh together, that would stop the bleeding for at least awhile. It wouldn't help much, but it was better than before.

Sakura knew that there wasn't any water nearby that she could use and knew she was in disadvantage. Shouji was an earth, fire type while she was a water type. Days before her master would train her in a second element, an urgent mission came up that needed her talents. And after that there wasn't much time to train. Normally it wouldn't have mattered. She could knock any opponent out with her genjutsu's or simply slitting their throat. But Shouji wasn't like any opponent she'd fought before. He'd break her illusions with ease and close combat wasn't really in her favor with a wounded leg. She was thrown out of her thoughts when her senses went on red alert. She dived away just in time not being crushed by a huge ball of earth. Before she knew it, the nose of Shouji's boots kicked her in the stomach and sent her flying.

She landed as gracefully she could in her condition. Hunched over the grass, she closed her eyes briefly as her injured leg gave a painful throb. Gritting her teeth she snapped her eyes open. Her hands flying through seals to could bring her back into the battle.

"Suiton, Suishouha!" A large wave of water appeared out of nowhere. It knocked Shouji out of balance, bringing him through the ground as the wave washed over him. Sakura jumped slightly, her feet glowing with chakra that would keep her standing upon the water surface.

"Katon, Ryuuka no Jutsu!" A large fire dragon escaped from Shouji's mouth, spewing it straight into the direction where Sakura was standing.

She could already feel the hit of the flames falling over her. And quickly she summoned her own water dragon to block the attack. And as the dragon's collapsed against each other, they collapsed. Small drops of her water dragon rained down on them. Her chakra reserve was running low. She needed to end this battle quickly otherwise she might fail her master.

As Shouji stared at the panting form of his master's pet, he could feel his own chakra running low himself. He knew just the jutsu that would give him his victory. The body of water had already sunk into the ground. With a flick of his wrist he threw some shuriken at the girl which she deflected with her own blade. It would give him time to but his final plan into action.

"Doton, Doryuudan!" A dragon head appeared from the ground. His mouth opened and bursts of mud balls sped out of his mouth with large speed. Sakura eyes widened. She channeled her chakra into her fist, slamming it into the ground to create a wall that would keep her safe for the attack.

She jumped away from her location. Using one of her shuriken and her duplicate jutsu, she threw them into the direction of Shouji. As she landed near Shouji she ran with full speed at the man. But as she turned her head up to look him into the eye she stopped dead in her tracks.

Fear crept into her heart, immobilizing her movements. Before her eyes she could see her own death scene. Her mind yelled to dispel, knowing that it was all but an illusion she was seeing. But she didn't have enough chakra to do so. She gritted her teeth then, knowing that this was Shouji's plan all along. She'd saw the smug grin upon his face. As if she was already defeated. Concentrating she forced her hand to small holster wrapped around her leg. Her fingers curled around the hilt of a kunai. She pulled it out and stabbed her own leg with it. The moment the rush of pain ran through her veins, she could feel her control coming back.

She smirked as she saw the dumbfounded look on Shouji's face. He didn't know about that little fact yet. Using his distraction at her advantage she resumed her former plan. Channeling all the chakra she'd left into her fist and hit him right above his heart. Exhausted she collapsed upon the ground. Panting she stared at the body lying a few feet away from her. Much to her amazement, Shouji got up from his spot after a few minutes. Most would have died with such impact. His legs were shaking heavily, trying to hold the weight of his body.

"Is.. that..all you can do?" He grunted. He spat out the blood that was filling up his mouth. "I'm finishing this!"

With the last chakra he'd possessed he summoned a large ball of earth and send it straight towards Sakura. The pink haired girl in question summoned all the strength she could muster and moved from her spot. She noticed then that the orb was following her. Knowing what to do she sprinted her way towards Shouji, grabbing her short katana while doing so. She dodged the leg that kicked in her direction and with a quick move of her arm she stabbed him in the side. As she twisted around her hand reached to one of her other weapons. Pulling out another kunai and dug it deep within Shouji's neck.

Shouji gurgled, his eyes wide as he felt the steel sink into his skin. And as the darkness crept around him, he used the last strength within him to send the ball his way. If he would go down, she would go with him. His legs gave in to his weight, sinking onto the ground as he slowly bled to death.

Sakura on the other hand kneeled down, grabbing the card from her pocket and soaked it with Shouji's blood. When she was done she placed the card safely into her chest pocket. She turned around then quickly, ready to run away out of danger when she felt two members of her team entering the clearing.

"Don't worry Sakura, I'll take care of that earth." Naruto yelled.

Before she could yell to stop him or get the hell away from the flying ball of earth, Naruto hit it with several kunai's. The impact made the orb split open and releasing the deadly content he was holding. Hot magma splashed around, hitting everything in the nearby area. Sakura screamed as the hot magma hit her backside. She fell to the ground. Inwardly she cursed the blonde knuckle head as she sunk towards unconsciousness, the searing agony to intense to stay awake.

**xXx**

The next time Sakura woke up, she was back into the hospital. She could feel that her back was neatly bandaged the same with her leg. Something cold and damp was resting on top her back. She was lying on her stomach and the only noise she could hear was the clock ticking. She grunted as a jolt of pain ran through her as she twisted around, not wanting to rest in such vulnerable position. Her eyes swept over the darkness of the room and saw a vase filled with flowers standing upon the desk next to her bed. As she looked further, she could see her clothes of her mission lying on one of the visiting chairs.

Ignoring the pain, she stepped out of bed, grabbing the edge to stabilize herself. When she finally trusted her own legs to carry her weight she stumbled over, searching in the chest pocket to the card she'd placed there. Sighing in relief, her hand enclosed around the card. They hadn't removed it.

The door swung open then, revealing the Hokage that stepped into the room. Her honey colored eyes widened with shock when it locked with the empty bed, but soon it narrowed in anger as she noticed her patient standing on the other side of the room.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She yelled outraged. "Get back into the bed!"

Sakura clenched her fist. Not liking it to be ordered around by someone like her. But nevertheless she did was she was told. She sat down, her eyes cold and impassive as the blonde woman approached her.

"Do you know how close you were to death when they brought you in?"

Sakura remained silent. Her eyes staring out of the window while Tsunade began to check her over. When Tsunade figured out she wouldn't get an answer in return began her procedure. While she was working she told her condition.

"Your back was third degree burned. You're lucky Kakashi was in his right mind to place you into a stream of water to cool it off."

"Hm. I'm surprised." Sakura answered in a monotone.

"Why?" But she didn't get a reply back.

Sakura continued staring out of the window. Not even wincing when a piece of bandage pulled along a piece of black skin. It did hurt like hell. But she wouldn't show her how much pain she was in. She would likely get some painkillers that would only keep her in the hospital longer and that was the last thing she wanted. After some more healing and adding a cooling ointment on her skin, it was again bandaged.

"How long?" Sakura said when Tsunade's hands retreated from her form.

"You've been unconscious for three days."

Sakura sighed as she turned around to look the Hokage in the eye. "That's not what I meant. How long before I'm allowed to train?"

"At least a week or two. Probably more." Sakura rolled her eyes in annoyance. Great, just great. She jumped of the bed, ignoring the alarmed gasp from the woman. Picking up her badly burned clothes she clicked her tongue in distaste. She'd gotten that jacket from her master as a birthday present. Well, it was at least better than that stupid hospital goon she was wearing at the moment.

She pulled the string loose and already pulled on the shirt before an arm grasped her shoulder lightly. "And where do you think you're going?" Tsunade said sternly.

"Home. I don't want to be here."

"That's out of the question." Again Sakura rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"I know how to treat myself. So there is no point in staying here." And with that she pushed the hand off her shoulder and continued dressing herself. And as she bent forward, her hair sliding to the sides of her neck, it revealed a small black tattoo in shape of a wolf howling to the unseen moon.

"Since when did you got a tattoo there Sakura?" Tsunade asked, staring at the little piece of art with interest. She recognized it from somewhere. But she couldn't remember from what.

"I have it as long I can remember. Now if you could excuse me." And with that she pushed the window open. Using the tree branch hanging next to her window to swing to the others before she landed down safely. She ignored the small jolts of pain and continued walking towards the apartment she'd called home for now.

And as she stepped into the cold, dark apartment she kicked off her boots. Her hand reached to the wall to flick the light on, her eyes squinting together and blinking rapidly before she got used to the light. With ease she pulled to clothes off her body and traded it for new, fresh ones hanging in her closet. She closed all the binds in her room then, grabbing the Ace card she'd soaked with Shouji's blood and laid it down on her desk.

Biting in her thump, her hand flew through a series of seals before slamming it upon the ground before her. And as she raised her hand, a poof smoke was created. Mamoru was standing before her. His yellow eyes blinked before settling them upon his Alpha female.

"I guess your mission was a success." He could already smell the spilt blood on the card.

Sakura nodded, folding the card before placing it between Mamoru's neck and his collar. "It was. I would have been less injured though as that stupid blond called Naruto wanted to 'safe' me."

The wolf nodded shortly, before his ears picked up a sound just outside her front door. "Someone's coming." Sakura glanced up, extending her chakra signal to cover up the identity of Mamoru. Her eyebrow raised with surprise as she picked up the chakra signal in front of her door. All of the people that could come to visit her, or Tsunade would have sent after her, she didn't think it would be him.

She opened the door to her balcony quickly. Letting Mamoru slide through the small opening before closing the door again. She quickly lid some scented candles, hoping to throw his senses off and not smelling the scent of the wolf that been here mere minutes before. Three loud knocks was heard then. Sakura made her way towards the front door, opening it to reveal the form of her team leader.

"You should be in the hospital," was the first thing he said.

"I didn't think you'd care," Sakura said teasingly. She turned around, leaving the door open for him to come in. Even if he wouldn't, she'd knew that even he would have closed the door before walking away. The door was clicked shut, but soon she heard his footsteps over her floor making her way to her.

"I'm being serious. You barely survived out there." He followed her into the kitchen. Watching as she filled the water heater with water before turning it on. Her back was still to him. And seeing how she kept her upper body as straight as possible, he'd knew she was in pain. She would be for awhile. Having hot magma spill all over your backside wasn't something to laugh at. She'd surely keep some scars from that accident. It was really weird how his heart racing in panic as he'd saw her injured form. He thought that now that the imposter was critically injured, he would have felt relieved. Knowing that the imposter would have died. He could even make it look like an accident.

But that wasn't the case. It was quite the opposite. His heart screamed to get her treated, and that was what he did. Because somehow his heart told him that she was important to him. If she would have died, another piece of him would have gone with him. Because somewhere deep in his heart he held the hope that she was still his. That her weird behavior could all be blamed upon amnesia.

"Coming from the one that avoids the hospital like a plague," Sakura responded. And somehow she sounded like the old one. She opened another cabinet, finding the tea mugs along with the tea flavors. Her hand reached out to grab one of the mugs. A small hiss escaped her lips as she felt the pull of her badly burned skin. She didn't lower her arm though and kept trying to reach the mug. She raised on her toes, her finger touching the smooth surface of the mug when a warm hand was placed above her own, grabbing the mug for her. She gasped out of surprise. She hadn't noticed him creeping up behind her. A sharp white flashed before her eyes. She could hear herself giggle, the scent of warm tea reaching her nose while a warm arm was wrapped around her waist.

"_Kakashi, stop that!" Sakura giggled. She was making his favorite dinner. Her tea mug was standing next the stove, small steam coming off the warm liquid it held within._

"_I'm only helping you reach the spices, you place them far too high for someone with your height, my dear." He was nuzzling her neck, his hand covering her own while the other was making teasing circles on her belly._

"_Shush you," Sakura chuckled. Kakashi handed over the spices she was reaching for and added it to the pan in front of her. She dipped her finger in the sauce then, holding the coated finger in front of Kakashi for him to taste. "Does this taste good enough?"_

_Her breath was caught in her throat when a pair of warm lips locked around the tip of her finger. A hot tongue licking her finger. When her finger was clean, he sucked slightly before releasing her finger tip from his hot cavern. "Hmm. Tastes good. But not so good like you, Sakura-chan." _

_Sakura laughed, trying to get out of his embrace as his mouth was kissing ever exposed flesh he could reach. "Kakashi! At least let me finish our dinner before you get all hot and bothered."_

"_I like my idea better." And with a kiss he silenced her protests. The one hand still wrapped around her waist pulled her closer to him, while the other turned off the stove before reaching into his back pocket. Grabbing the thing he was searching for, he pulled it out. His remaining hand on her form releasing her to aid the other. And when he pulled back, he released the small necklace he'd bought for her, now hanging around her beautiful and elegant neck._

_He tucked a strand of pink hair behind her ear as he kissed her forehead. "Happy Valentine's day, Sakura."_

Sakura blinked, her hands coming up to cup her head as if they could shield it for the upcoming headache. She groaned slightly as she murmured softly. A sudden wave of chakra hit her then, and the memory vanished before her eyes and mind.

Kakashi on the other hand was staring at her wide eyed. He heard her loud and clearly. She repeated every sentence she'd said one year ago on their first Valentine's day together. No one could have know that expect he and her. That was the time he'd given her his mother's necklace. The one he kept safe and give away when he found his woman. The one he would spend the rest of his life with. Sakura, the girl he'd loved and was his woman finally remembered something. With his head in his own clouds, finally accepting the fact that Sakura was back and with proof she was really her, he didn't notice the unknown chakra burst through her. The warning alarm bells his head was giving off was pushed away by his heart that was glad to finally have his Sakura back again.

_**To be continued…**_


End file.
